PLISSIT Interventions and Sexual Functioning: Useful Tools for Social Work in Palliative Care?

Abstract

Discussing sexual health with healthcare patients and their partners is difficult and often avoided. The PLISSIT model is a framework to effectively initiate the conversation about sexual concerns. This rapid review and small meta-analysis explores and clarifies knowledge about the effectiveness of PLISSIT in resolving sexual dysfunction and glean insight into its utility as a social work intervention in a palliative care setting. Evidence from 15 interventional studies was synthesized. Cohen’s d-index served as the meta-analytic effect size statistic for each individual study. Significant ds were converted to Cohen’s U₃ statistic to aid in practical interpretations. Between-study heterogeneity was evaluated with Cochran’s Q statistic to examine possible relationships between effect sizes and moderator variables. Statistically and practically significant evidence revealed that PLISSIT is effective in treating sexual dysfunction (d = 1.00, U₃ = 84%, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.08): 84% of participants who received PLISSIT interventions scored lower on sexual dysfunction measures than did the typical participant in the comparison condition. Study design and frequency of intervention delivery moderated the overall effect. The findings and inferences may be best thought of as developed hypotheses for future research testing.

Keywords:

• Social work
• PLISSIT
• Ex-PLISSIT
• sexual dysfunction
• sexuality
• intimacy
• sexual health
• meta-analysis
• palliative care
• hospice

Acknowledgement

I am grateful for the analytic guidance of Kevin Gorey, School of Social Work, University of Windsor. I am also grateful for the library assistance of Sharon Munro, Leddy Library, University of Windsor and Anna Henshaw, Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. Finally, the translation services of Yunki Min are gratefully acknowledged.