| Title |
Bipolar disorder and sexuality: a preliminary qualitative pilot study
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, February 2023
|
| DOI | 10.1186/s40345-023-00285-9 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Helle B. Krogh, Maj Vinberg, Gitte Lee Mortensen, Ditte Skakke, Dorthe Nielsen, Annamaria Giraldi |
| Abstract |
Individuals with mental health disorders have a higher risk of sexual problems impacting intimate relations and quality of life. For individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) the mood shifts might to a particular degree affect their sexual function with possible hypersexual interest during manic episodes and low sexual interest during depressive episodes. The diagnosis is often given in late adolescence, which may impact sexual identity and development. Only a few studies have looked at BD and sexual life, with no qualitative research on the topic. We conducted a qualitative pilot study exploring sexuality in connection to mood swings in five participants with BD. Thematic content analysis revealed five themes: (1) sexual drive and impulses, (2) sexual behavior, (3) thoughts and feelings in relation to sexual issues, (4) intimate relationships, and (5) sexuality and identity. During manic episodes the participants described having a higher sexual drive, leading for some to more sexual interactions. During depressed episodes, the sexual drive in the three female participants was low, however, in the two men, rather than a reduced sexual drive, a more self-destructive way of engaging in sex prevailed. The sexual outgoing behavior during manic phases was described as joyful, with no feelings of shame connected to it. However, the shifts in sexual drive connected to mood shifts affected the participants' relationships negatively. Further, all the participants described having outgoing sexual behavior in their youth. Overall, changes in sexual drive may act as a trigger or early warning symptoms of new episodes, pinpointing the clinical relevance of addressing sexuality in individuals with BD. In general, sexual drive followed affective episodes. However, during depressive episodes sex could be, instead of reduced drive, associated with negative feelings. All participants described having an outgoing sexual behavior in their youth before the onset of BD, which might be essential to consider if there is a clinical suspension of BD in an individual. |
X Demographics
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Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1 | 33% |
| Unknown | 2 | 67% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 3 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 25 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 25 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unspecified | 3 | 12% |
| Researcher | 3 | 12% |
| Other | 2 | 8% |
| Professor > Associate Professor | 2 | 8% |
| Student > Master | 2 | 8% |
| Other | 1 | 4% |
| Unknown | 12 | 48% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 7 | 28% |
| Unspecified | 3 | 12% |
| Linguistics | 1 | 4% |
| Psychology | 1 | 4% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 1 | 4% |
| Other | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown | 12 | 48% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 05 October 2023.
All research outputs
#14,271,579
of 24,564,172 outputs
Outputs from International Journal of Bipolar Disorders
#201
of 314 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#176,421
of 451,877 outputs
Outputs of similar age from International Journal of Bipolar Disorders
#8
of 11 outputs
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So far Altmetric has tracked 314 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 14.0. This one is in the 35th percentile – i.e., 35% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 11 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 36th percentile – i.e., 36% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.