Biomedical subjects

Stamatis Papaharitou

Publications and source records attributed to Stamatis Papaharitou.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Moderate and severe erectile dysfunction equally affects life satisfaction.

PURPOSE: To explore the life satisfaction of patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and to examine the relation between severity of ED and life satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample was recruited from patients who presented in an andrologic outpatient clinic complaining of ED. All patients underwent the basic clinical evaluation and were assessed by the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF) and the Life Satisfaction Inventory (LSI). RESULTS: The study included 69 patients with ED (age range 22-71 years, mean 49.5, SD 13.7). The LSI appeared to have satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82). Men with ED had significantly lower satisfaction with their sexual life (t = -13.756, d.f. = 68, P = 0.000), but also significantly lower total score of satisfaction with their life (t = -2.793, d.f. = 68, P = 0.007) compared with available normative data from healthy population. However, when compared with controls, men with ED showed significantly higher satisfaction scores on their financial status (t = 5.075, d.f. = 68, P = 0.000) and on their leisure time activities (t = 4.029, d.f. = 68, P = 0.000). Regarding ED severity, mild ED affects patients' satisfaction with sexual life less than do moderate and severe ED. Interestingly, no difference was identified between moderate and severe ED groups. CONCLUSIONS: Men who seek help for ED have lower satisfaction with sexual life and lower satisfaction with their overall life compared with healthy people. Severity of ED seems to be an important factor, as men with moderate ED perceive the impact of ED on their life satisfaction equally with those with severe ED. ED patients gain more satisfaction from other domains of their life, provided they adopt coping behaviors that help compensate for their low overall life satisfaction. Furthermore, as ED patients do not differ from healthy people in their expressed subjective rating of quality of life (QoL), life satisfaction may be more sensitive than QoL assessment in the evaluation of the impact of ED on our patients' life.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Educating physicians to treat erectile dysfunction patients: development and evaluation of a course on communication and management strategies.

PURPOSE: To describe the development and assess the outcome of a workshop on erectile dysfunction (ED) management based on participating physicians evaluations. METHOD: The study involved physicians who attended a workshop offered throughout the country, during a 3-year period. The workshop included tutorials, video-based dramatizations, and role-play sessions. A pilot study investigated the workshop's impact on physicians' attitudes toward patient-centeredness and sexual behavior issues; Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and Cross Cultural Attitude Scale (CCAS) were administered before and after the course. New knowledge acquisition, quality of presentation, and workshop's usefulness in their clinical practice were the dimensions used for workshop's evaluation. Analysis used quantitative and qualitative methods. RESULTS: A total of 194 questionnaires were administered during the pilot study and the response rate was 53.6%. A shift in attitudes toward patient-centeredness and less judgmental attitude toward patients' sexual attitudes were revealed (total PPOS score and Sharing subscale: P < 0.05, CCAS: P < 0.001). Six hundred physicians were asked to evaluate the workshops and the response rate was 62.3%. The tutorial session for "medical treatment of ED" (P < 0.001) and the role-play on sexual history taking (P < 0.05) received higher evaluation scores. Qualitative analysis showed that the most frequently reported category referred to the appropriateness of role-play as a teaching and awareness-raising technique (31.25%); a need for changes in clinical practice and communication patterns was identified by 20% of the participants who stressed the necessity for multidisciplinary approach, as well as the adoption of a nonjudgmental attitude toward patients. CONCLUSION: Training courses on ED management, using a combination of tutorial and interactive sessions, constitute an effective way of providing knowledge, enhancing physicians' communication skills with ED patients, and influencing attitudes toward patient-centeredness in sexual issues. Such results strongly support the establishment of sexual medicine courses at continuing medical education curricula.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are the most frequently self-reported sexual concerns: profiles of 9,536 men calling a helpline.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the range of sexual problems, as reported by men calling a help-line and to investigate factors associated with help seeking behaviour. METHODS: The study included all calls between 1999 and 2004. The information used for analysis comprised caller's demographic characteristics, the sexual problem reported, previous doctor contacts, coexisting physical and mental health problems. RESULTS: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) were the most frequently reported problems (57 and 19.2% respectively). ED-reporting callers were older (OR 0.63 for the ages of 50-59 yrs), with co-morbidities (OR 1.75) and in stable relationship (OR 0.46), while PE-reporting callers were younger (OR 5.83 for the ages of 20-29 yrs), relatively healthy and more likely single (OR 2.62 and OR 2.92 respectively). Type and duration of sexual concern, age, coexisting health problems and marital status relate significantly (p<0.01) with willingness to seek medical help. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that ED and PE are men's major sexual concerns with personal and interpersonal factors influencing their help-seeking behaviour. Help-lines can serve as a link between health services and callers, while provide useful information for policy formation and improvement of support services.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Psychiatric morbidity is frequently undetected in patients with erectile dysfunction.

PURPOSE: We investigated the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients who attended an andrology outpatient clinic complaining of ED were recruited for study purposes. ED severity was evaluated by the International Index of Erectile Function erectile function domain score. The psychiatric diagnosis was established by a semistructured clinical interview as well as by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV. The Beck Depression Inventory was also incorporated as a complementary tool to assess depressive symptom severity. RESULTS: The study included 103 patients 20 to 76 years old (mean age +/- SD 47.06 +/- 14.78) with ED. Most patients were classified with moderate and severe ED (26.2% and 44.7%, respectively). A detectable psychiatric condition was present in 63.1% of the patients, including depressive disorders in 25.2%, anxiety disorders in 11.7%, depression-anxiety comorbidity in 6.8% and personality disorders in 5.8%. A positive psychiatric anamnesis was identified in 41 cases, while 24 were newly diagnosed. No significant association was found between the duration and severity of ED, and psychiatric morbidity or the severity of depressive symptoms (p > 0.05). A positive association was found between the severity of depressive symptoms and the patient tendency to discuss the problem with their partner (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric morbidity is highly prevalent in patients with ED, potentially affecting treatment outcome. Because lifetime psychological problems were reported by more than half of the patients, a psychosocial history seems mandatory. Partner support appeared to have a significant role in the patient psychological state.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Women's sexual concerns: data analysis from a help-line.

PURPOSE: To report female sexual problems and concerns, as presented by women calling a help-line, and to evaluate women's help-seeking behavior regarding sexual matters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included all telephone calls from women who called for sexual concerns to a help-line dedicated to sexual problems during a 5-year period. During the call, the counselor addresses demographic characteristics of the caller, the sexual problem reported, their sexual function, any previous doctor contacts, coexisting physical and mental health problems, couple's relationship, and lifestyle factors that may influence sexual function. Data processing employed descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis in order to detect possible associations between categorical variables. RESULTS: Of a total of 3,523 calls made by women, 2,287 full forms were analyzed, reflecting a response rate of 64.9%. Most women (46.6%) called for problems encountered by their partners, 45.1% called for their own sexual problems, while 5.9% were calling for their children. Only 34.3% of them had already consulted a doctor. The most frequently reported difficulties were achieving orgasm (25.6%), reduced sexual desire (16.9%), and pain during intercourse (6.1%). Women in the 40-49 age group had the higher odds ratios for the sexual problems reported (reduced sexual desire: odds ratio [OR] 5.0; difficulties achieving orgasm: OR 6.3; pain during intercourse: OR 5.8). Both married and single women had high risk of experiencing low levels of sexual desire (40% and 30%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Women's sexual concerns are not devoted to their sexual problems, but also their partner's and children's problems. Most frequently reported sexual problems are difficulties in reaching orgasm and reduced sexual desire. However, women are reluctant to seek medical advice on their sexual concerns. There is a need for general practitioners and family doctors to become aware of the possibility of a sexual problem and to be trained on how to manage this at a primary care level.

Adult↗