Sexual dysfunction induced by antidepressants and antipsychotics

Abstract

The interest in sexual dysfunction induced by psychotropic drugs has increased considerably in recent years because of the new-generation antidepressants (AD) and antipsychotics (AP) being put into medical practice. These drugs are widely used to treat not only depression and schizophrenia, but also anxiety and affective disorders. Other, additional indications for the use of antidepressants are appetite disorders, premenstrual syndrome, chronic pain, etc. Neuroleptics are administered to treat resistant depressions, aggressiveness, impulsivity, and alcoholism. Impaired sexual functioning due to AD and AP lowers quality of life in patients and increases the risk of their refusing treatment, the result of which is a phenomenon associated with the occurrence of recurrent mental illnesses. There are few scientific data on the nature and prevalence of sexual dysfunctions induced by these medications. This topic is universally underestimated as it is rarely touched upon by specialists during their consultations. The aim of the review is to show the side effects of AP and AD on the sexual sphere, to compare different classes of the drugs, and to propose possible management strategies to correct these undesirable effects.

Keywords

• sexual dysfunction
• antidepressants
• antipsychotics
• management strategies