Randomized-controlled comparison of two online-interventions: How effective are cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based sexual therapy in improving sexual desire in women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder?
Final Report Abstract
One of the most common and distressing sexual problems in women is a lack of sexual desire. When reduced desire occurs over several months and causes personal distress, a sexual dysfunction called Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) may be present. Approximately 6% of sexually active women report a disruptive reduction in sexual desire. Psychotherapeutic interventions are considered the method of choice for treating HSDD. Cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies are considered promising but reach only a fraction of affected individuals. One way to reach more affected women is to implement psychological therapies as Internet-based self-help programs. In this project, two proven and effective group therapy manuals were translated into German and adapted as eight-week multimedia Internet trainings. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effectiveness of Internet-based cognitive-behavioral (iCBT) and mindfulnessbased sex therapy (iMBT) for women with HSDD compared to a wait-list control group. In addition, personal experiences with the program were examined as part of a qualitative study and impact factors were analyzed. A total of 266 women participated in the study who either directly completed iCBT and iMBT or were assigned to a 6-month waiting list. To determine the personal effects of iCBT and iMBT participants, as well as their evaluations of the programs and perceived changes in sexual desire, we conducted a qualitative analysis of telephone interviews with 51 women after program completion. We found that certain treatment elements were perceived as particularly helpful and that participants experienced a variety of positive changes in their sexual desire. The most important finding of this study was that we were able to show that both treatment programs significantly improved sexual desire and related distress compared to the waiting group. These improvements occurred immediately upon completion of the programs and were sustained over six- and twelve-month periods. This evidence of efficacy lays the foundation for making such programs available to the general public and, in particular, reaching those sufferers who cannot find or do not wish to use sex therapy services in their area.
Publications
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Die MiSELF-Studie - Studienprotokoll einer internetbasierten Intervention für Frauen mit vermindertem sexuellen Verlangen. Vortrag auf dem 37. Symposium für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der Fachgruppe Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der DGPs, Erlangen.
Meyers, M., Margraf, J. & Velten, J.
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Let's get it on(line)-study protocol of an internet-based intervention for women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, Open Paper presented at the 9th World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies, Berlin, Germany.
Meyers, M., Velten, J. & Margraf, J.
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Erfahrungen von Teilnehmerinnen eines internetbasierten Interventionsprogramms für vermindertes sexuelles Verlangen. Eine qualitative Analyse. Poster auf dem 38. Symposium für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der Fachgruppe Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der DGPs, Mannheim (online).
Meyers, M., Margraf, J. & Velten, J.
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Psychological Treatment of Low Sexual Desire in Women: Protocol for a Randomized, Waitlist-Controlled Trial of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfulness-Based Treatments. JMIR Research Protocols, 9(9), e20326.
Meyers, Milena; Margraf, Jürgen & Velten, Julia
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Erfahrungen von Teilnehmerinnen eines internetbasierten Interventionsprogramms für vermindertes sexuelles Verlangen–Eine qualitative Analyse. Poster präsentiert auf dem 35. Symposium der Fachgruppe Klinische Psychologie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie.
Meyers, M., Margraf, J. & Velten, J.
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Psychometric Properties of a Self-Report Version of the Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory-Female (SIDI-F-SR). The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 18(5), 990-995.
Velten, Julia; Hirschfeld, Gerrit; Meyers, Milena & Margraf, Jürgen
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Using Three Indirect Measures to Assess the Role of Sexuality-Related Associations and Interpretations for Women’s Sexual Desire: An Internet-Based Experimental Study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50(6), 2471-2484.
Zahler, Lisa; Meyers, Milena; Woud, Marcella L.; Blackwell, Simon E.; Margraf, Jürgen & Velten, Julia
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“It opened a whole new world for me”: A qualitative analysis of subjective mechanisms of chance from a study on Internet Interventions for low sexual desire. Poster präsentiert auf dem 47. Virtual Meeting der International Academy of Sex Research.
Meyers, M., Margraf, J. & Velten, J.
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„With or without you“ – Eine qualitative Analyse der Rolle des Partner:inneneinbezugs bei internetbasierten Interventionen zur Behandlung von vermindertem Verlangen bei Frauen. Poster auf dem 39. Symposium für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der Fachgruppe Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der DGPs, Berlin,
Meyers, M., Margraf, J. & Velten, J.
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A Qualitative Study of Women’s Experiences with Cognitive-Behavioral and Mindfulness-Based Online Interventions for Low Sexual Desire. The Journal of Sex Research, 59(9), 1082-1091.
Meyers, Milena; Margraf, Jürgen & Velten, Julia
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Subjective effects and perceived mechanisms of change of cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based online interventions for low sexual desire in women. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 49(8), 902-916.
Meyers, Milena; Margraf, Jürgen & Velten, Julia
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Wirksamkeit von kognitivverhaltenstherapeutischen und achtsamkeitsbasierten Online-Interventionen für vermindertes sexuelles Verlangen bei Frauen: Ergebnisse der MiSELF-Studie. Vortrag auf dem 2. Deutschen Psychotherapie Kongress (DPK), Berlin, Deutschland.
Velten, J., Meyers, M. & Margraf, J.
