Psychosocial interventions for erectile dysfunction

Normal sexual function is a biopsychosocial process and relies on the coordination of psychological, endocrine, vascular, and neurological factors. Recent data show that psychological factors are involved in a substantial number of cases of erectile dysfunction (ED) alone or in combination with organic causes. However, in contrast to the advances in somatic research of erectile dysfunction, scientific literature shows contradictory reports on the results of psychotherapy for the treatment of ED.

To evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the treatment of ED compared to oral drugs, local injection, vacuum devices and other psychosocial interventions, that may include any psycho-educative methods and psychotherapy, or both, of any kind.

The following databases were searched to identify randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials: MEDLINE (1966 to 2007), EMBASE (1980 to 2007), psycINFO (1974 to 2007), LILACS (1980 to 2007), DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS (2007) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (2007).

Besides this electronic search cross checking the references of all identified trials, contact with the first author of all included trials was performed in order to obtain data on other published or unpublished trials. Handsearch of the International Journal of Impotence Research and Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy since its first issue and contact with scientific societies for ED completed the search strategy.

Selection criteria

All relevant randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials evaluating psychosocial interventions for ED.

Data collection and analysis

Authors of the review independently selected trials found with the search strategy, extracted data, assessed trial quality, and analysed results. For categorical outcomes the pooled relative risks (RR) were calculated, and for continuous outcomes mean differences between interventions were calculated as well. Statistical heterogeneity was addressed.

Main results

Nine randomised (Banner 2000; Baum 2000; Goldman 1990; Kilmann 1987; Kockott 1975; Melnik 2005; Munjack 1984; Price 1981; Wylie 2003) and two quasi-randomised trials (Ansari 1976; Van Der Windt 2002), involving 398 men with ED (141 in psychotherapy group, 109 received medication, 68 psychotherapy plus medication, 20 vacuum devices and 59 control group) met the inclusion criteria. In data pooled from five randomised trials (Kockott 1975; Ansari 1976; Price 1981; Munjack 1984; Kilmann 1987), group psychotherapy was more likely than the control group (waiting list - a group of participants who did not receive any active intervention) to reduce the number of men with "persistence of erectile dysfunction" at post-treatment (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.98, N = 100; NNT 1.61, 95% CI 0.97 to 4.76).