Satisfaction with the treatment, confidence and 'naturalness' in engaging in sexual activity in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial of three therapeutic approaches

Abstract

Objective: To assess the efficacy of group psychotherapy (GTP) and/or sildenafil for psychogenic erectile dysfunction (ED).

Patients and methods: A randomized controlled single-blind trial was performed at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Medical School of at Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. In all, 30 men with mild and moderate psychogenic ED were randomized to receive for 6 months: GPT plus 50 mg sildenafil on-demand, or 50 mg sildenafil on-demand exclusively, or GPT exclusively. Changes in score from baseline for three questions of the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) were evaluated at endpoint and after 3-months follow-up.

Results: Satisfaction with the treatment, confidence and 'naturalness' increased in the GPT plus sildenafil and GPT exclusively groups (P= 0.001) from baseline to endpoint. The treatment-by-time comparison was not significant at endpoint vs the 3-month follow-up, in the three groups. There was no difference in the sildenafil group in the three study periods (P > 0.05)

Conclusion: Men with mild and moderate psychogenic ED had higher treatment satisfaction, confidence and naturalness in engaging in sexual activity when receiving GPT plus sildenafil or GP exclusively, when compared with sildenafil exclusively, as assessed by these three EDITS questions after 6-months treatment.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01153204.