Bipolar disorder and sexuality: a preliminary qualitative pilot study

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Helle B Krogh1, Maj Vinberg2, Gitte Lee Mortensen3, Ditte Skakke1, Dorthe Susanne Nielsen4, Annamaria Giraldi5
1Sexological Clinic, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Ole Maaloes 14, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
2Mental Health Center, Northern Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital, Mental Health Services CPH, Hillerød, Denmark
3AnthroConsult, Aarhus, Denmark
4Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
5Department of Clinical Medicine University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Tóm tắt

Abstract Background Individuals with mental health disorders have a higher risk of sexual problems impacting intimate relations and quality of life. For individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) the mood shifts might to a particular degree affect their sexual function with possible hypersexual interest during manic episodes and low sexual interest during depressive episodes. The diagnosis is often given in late adolescence, which may impact sexual identity and development. Only a few studies have looked at BD and sexual life, with no qualitative research on the topic. We conducted a qualitative pilot study exploring sexuality in connection to mood swings in five participants with BD. Results Thematic content analysis revealed five themes: (1) sexual drive and impulses, (2) sexual behavior, (3) thoughts and feelings in relation to sexual issues, (4) intimate relationships, and (5) sexuality and identity. During manic episodes the participants described having a higher sexual drive, leading for some to more sexual interactions. During depressed episodes, the sexual drive in the three female participants was low, however, in the two men, rather than a reduced sexual drive, a more self-destructive way of engaging in sex prevailed. The sexual outgoing behavior during manic phases was described as joyful, with no feelings of shame connected to it. However, the shifts in sexual drive connected to mood shifts affected the participants’ relationships negatively. Further, all the participants described having outgoing sexual behavior in their youth. Conclusions Overall, changes in sexual drive may act as a trigger or early warning symptoms of new episodes, pinpointing the clinical relevance of addressing sexuality in individuals with BD. In general, sexual drive followed affective episodes. However, during depressive episodes sex could be, instead of reduced drive, associated with negative feelings. All participants described having an outgoing sexual behavior in their youth before the onset of BD, which might be essential to consider if there is a clinical suspension of BD in an individual.

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