A Mindfulness Psychoeducational Group Intervention Targeting Sexual Adjustment for Women with Multiple Sclerosis and Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The high prevalence of sexual difficulties experienced by women with a neurological disability, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injury (SCI), is well documented in the literature. The link has also been established between sexual problems of this population and decreased quality of life. Despite the frequency of sexual difficulties and the importance of sexual health for persons with MS or SCI, sexual dysfunction is an area largely un-addressed in practice settings and there are surprisingly few intervention studies in this area. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of an existing, previously tested, group psychoeducational intervention in the population of women with neurological disabilities. Six women were recruited to participate in the psychoeducational sessions, which involved education, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy. Despite a very small sample size, this study suggests that this intervention may be beneficial for women with MS or SCI in improving sexual functioning (especially in the domains of sexual desire and arousal) and in being less judgmental of their inner experiences. Findings suggest a psychoeducational approach (including mindfulness) has the potential to positively influence sexual adjustment for women with MS and SCI.

Views and Experiences of Sex, Sexuality and Relationships Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of the Qualitative Literature

“…Sexuality is an important part of 'doing gender'; that is, of being and feeling like a man or a woman [8,9]. However, in one study, a participant describes the effects of SCI as 'desexualizing' [41].…”

“…The assumption is that women's sexuality is unaffected by the injury [8]. Research often focusses on a medicalised view of reproduction and copulation, particularly physiologically, which overlooks the complex and multifaceted biopsychosocial nature of copulation as physiological, psychological and relational [6,9].…”

“…Hocaloski et al [9] outlined a sequalae of effects of spinal cord injury that reflects the multifaceted nature of sex and sexuality to describe primary, secondary and tertiary effects. Primary effects are from the physical impact of the injury, such as erectile dysfunction [10].…”

Sexual citizenship through resistance: a movement that centers disabled women’s voices

“…The literature in context Literature in the field of disability is varied, but literature about disabled women is much more narrowand narrower still when sexuality is the focus. Disability and sexuality scholarship tends to be rooted almost exclusively within a remedial, medicalized perception of disabled women's bodies that focuses on sexual function and dysfunction as it relates to a non-disabled standard (Hocaloski et al 2016;Smith et al 2015;Wiegerink et al 2011). Further, there is extensive evidence of an ableist culture at work that subjugates disabled women, ignores their sexual citizenship, and stigmatizes their sexual expression and sexual pleasure (Bahner 2012(Bahner , 2020Beckwith and Yau 2013;Drummond and Brotman 2014;Garland-Thomson 1997;Jungels and Bender 2015;Linton 2007).…”

“Mindfulness in Motion” for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Feasibility Study

“…5,46,47 This instrument has been found to have adequate to good construct validity. 47 The FFMQ has been used, or recommended, in a few studies of people with MS. 5,20,48,49…”