The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Sex Therapy on Improving Sexual Desire Disorder, Sexual Distress, Sexual Self-Disclosure and Sexual Function in Women: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Sexual desire disorder is the most common form of sexual dysfunction among women and is associated with problems like sexual distress and reduced sexual self-disclosure. As a result, this RCT study was conducted with 70 reproductive-age women in the form of 4 weekly group educational sessions. Compared to the control group, the mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral sex therapy (MBCST) intervention significantly improved sexual -desire, -distress, self-disclosure and -function immediately, 4 and 12 weeks after the educational sessions were completed in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Overall, our findings underscore the significance of the MBCST intervention on improving sexual dysfunction among women.

Trial registration number: Iranian registry of clinical trials. IRCT Id: IRCT20160808029255N4.

Trial registration date: 17th September 2018.

Date of first patient’s enrollment: 19th September 2018.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2021.2008075

Acknowledgments

This article is the result of a research project titled “The effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Sex Therapy on Improving Sexual Desire Disorder, Sexual Distress, Sexual Self-Disclosure and Sexual Function in Women: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial”. The research team would like to extend their gratitude to this university and all the participants who made this project possible.

Author’s contributions

SR designed the study, collected & analyzed the data, and drafted & revised the manuscript. NV contributed to the study design, supervised the sampling process, analyzed the data, and drafted & revised the manuscript. ShH contributed to the study design, supervised the data analysis, finalized the statistical report, and revised the manuscript. RM contributed to the study design, analyzed the data, revised the manuscript, and supervised all phases of the study. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS); Grant no: 97-01-28-37996.