A SURVEY OF SEXUAL PROBLEMS AMONGST PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS

This paper reports the findings of a survey of 39 men and 17 women who had been admitted to the acute psychiatric wards of an inner London p sychiatric unit. The patients were seen within 7 days of their admissi on and were interviewed about existing sexual and relationship problem s. The admissions consisted largely of single men with schizophrenia a nd married or cohabiting women with affective disorders. Of the men, 6 2% of those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, between 63 and 75% of t hose with affective disorders and 17% of those with other diagnoses re ported current sexual or relationship problems. Of the women, 25% of t hose with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 50-100% of those with affectiv e disorders and 25% with other diagnoses reported a sexual or relation ship problem. The high prevalence of such problems amongst inpatients indicates that such matters should be enquired after and therapeutic i nterventions considered at the time of admission. We examined the limi tations of this work and proposed areas of potential research.