Group treatment of erectile dysfunction for men without partners: A controlled evaluation

Abstract

This study utilized a control group design to evaluate the effectiveness of group treatment of erectile dysfunction in men without partners. Twenty-one men with secondary erectile dysfunction were randomly assigned to one of two men's groups with different cotherapy teams or to a waiting-list control condition. Results indicated that while the two men's groups did not differ on any clinical-outcome measures, each men's group improved significantly more than the waiting-list clients on a variety of measures concerning sexual attitudes and behaviors related to erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, most of the treatment gains for men's group participants were maintained at six-week and six-month follow-up evaluations. However, the men's group and waiting-list participants did not differ significantly in the reported frequency of erection difficulties following treatment. In comparing the present findings with those of previous studies of men's group treatment, it is hypothesized that the absence of significant change in the frequency of erection difficulties in the present study may have been attributable to the older age of our clients or to the relative lack of emphasis on dating-skills training in this treatment format. This study illustrates the importance of including some form of no-treatment control condition in the evaluation of new treatments for sexual dysfunction.

The Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Including Comparisons to Sildenafil Treatment, Intracavernosal Injection, and Vacuum Devices

“…Significant differences also were found for the rate of “persistence of ED” between group therapy plus sildenafil citrate and the sildenafil only for posttreatment [18,20]. A major landmark, awareness of the emotional component, was enhanced by the psychotherapeutic process, as can be seen by the meta‐analysis.…”

“…At six months follow‐up, there was a continued maintenance of reduction of men with “persistence of ED” in favor of psychotherapy (RR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.26–0.72, N = 37; NNT = 1.58, 95% CI 1.17–2.43) [15,20].…”

“…Price [20] conducted a study involving 21 men without partners who were presenting with erectile difficulties. Treatment consisted of weekly, 2‐hour group sessions administered by two dual‐sex therapy teams.…”

“…In a subgroup analysis comparing one study with men between 30 and 39 years old [24] to four studies with men at 45 years old and older [13,15,17,20], no statistical differences were identified.…”

Non-Couple Therapy for Sexual Dysfunction

“…In one of the only known studies to utilize a control group, Price et al (1981) conducted eight group sessions with twenty-one men with secondary erectile dysfunction, none of whom had steady sexual parmers. Male and female co-therapists were used, and topics covered during sessions included anatomy and physiology, myths, communication and sensate focus, as well as identification of future problems and potential solutions.…”