Understanding the Lived Experiences of People with Sexual Difficulties Resulting from Using and Discontinuing Antidepressants

Abstract

Many studies have demonstrated that antidepressants can cause a variety of side effects, including sexual difficulties. These sexual difficulties can persist after discontinuation of antidepressants – a condition known as post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD). Researchers have found that prescribers are not informing their patients of the sexual side effects of antidepressants and PSSD. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of those who have experienced sexual difficulties as a result of using and withdrawing from antidepressants. Ten (10) participants were recruited through a patient advocacy group, the Canadian PSSD Society, to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. The results were analyzed using descriptive phenomenological analysis. Eight themes and corresponding subthemes emerged to describe participants’ experiences with PSSD. The findings indicate that people with PSSD can undergo psychological, physical and sexual effects of withdrawal that cause suffering, hopelessness and alienation. In addition, the findings suggest that there was a lack of understanding, awareness, informed consent or acceptance among healthcare providers about PSSD, which (1) compounded the suffering, trauma, hopelessness and alienation that people with PSSD experience about their condition and (2) contributed to an overall lack of trust in physicians and/or medicine in general and therefore reliance on oneself to find relief from the symptoms of PSSD.