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CompletedNCT01153204Updated Jun 30, 2010

Satisfaction, Confidence and Naturalness in Men With Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

A Phase 4 interventional study of Group Psychotherapy and Group Psychotherapy plus Sildenafil citrate in Erectile Dysfunction, sponsored by Federal University of São Paulo. Completed. Open to male participants aged 25 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2010-06-30.

Sponsored by Federal University of São Paulo · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
25 Years to 50 Years
Sex
Male
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Study summary

Context and Objectives: Erectile dysfunction severely compromises not only sexual satisfaction, which is well known to be closely linked to overall life satisfaction but is also associated with a lower quality of life, lower self-esteem, depression, anxiety and adverse effects on interpersonal relationships. The objective was to assess the efficacy of psychotherapy and/or sildenafil for psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

Design and Settings: randomized controlled single-blind trial performed at Institute of Psychiatry of the Medical School of at Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Methods: Thirty patients with mild and moderate psychogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) were randomized to receive for six months: group psychotherapy (GP) plus 50mg sildenafil on demand, or 50mg sildenafil exclusively, on demand, or GP exclusively. Changes in score from baseline for three questions of the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) were evaluated at end-point and after 3-months follow-up.

Results: satisfaction with the treatment, confidence and naturalness increased in GP plus sildenafil and GP exclusively groups (p=0.001) from baseline to endpoint. The treatment-by-time comparison was not significant at end point versus 3-month follow-ups, in the three groups. No difference was observed in the sildenafil group in the three study periods (P >0.05) Conclusions: Patients with mild and moderate psychogenic ED had higher treatment satisfaction, confidence and naturalness in engaging in sexual activity when receiving GP plus sildenafil or GP exclusively, when compared with sildenafil exclusively, as assessed by these three EDITS questions after 6-months treatment

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Conditions studied

  • Erectile Dysfunction

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Keywords

  • Erectile Dysfunction
  • Group Psychotherapy
  • Sildenafil [Substance Name]
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Efficacy
  • Randomized Controlled Trial [Publication Type]
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In context

Erectile Dysfunction

683 studies on the registry are indexed under Erectile Dysfunction; 117 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 72 across 542 interventional studies indexed under Erectile Dysfunction.

Browse Erectile Dysfunction studies →

Lead sponsor

Federal University of São Paulo is the lead sponsor of 427 studies on the registry; 22 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
25 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. exclusive diagnosis of psychogenic ED, using a checklist for DSM-IV criteria.Morning erections, situational erections (masturbatory or with another partner), or acute onset are characteristics of psychogenic ED;
  2. age between 25 and 50 years;
  3. mild and moderate erectile dysfunction according to the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF);
  4. stable heterosexual relationship for at least 1 year, and in accordance with inclusion criteria during short-time psychotherapy focused on sexuality; (f) informed consent from the patient.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients were excluded if presenting significant clinical diseases, major depressive disorder or other severe mental disorder, primary no erectile sexual disorder (e.g., hypoactive sexual disorder), penile anatomic defects; users of medications that could interfere with sexual function; patients with any kind of physical limitations for the use of sildenafil citrate (current use of nitrates, past history of retinitis pigmentosa, allergies); and significant drug, alcohol or tobacco use

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Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
30 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Group Psychotherapy (GP)

    Time-limited group psychotherapy is a technique based on psychodrama, an in-depth method of group psychotherapy. Active methods are used to enable past, present, and future life events to be explored. Sexual issues and their possible solutions are enacted rather than simply discussed. Time-limited group psychotherapy focuses on a central or core issue or a circumscribed area of conflict (psychogenic erectile dysfunction) as the only or major object of intervention efforts.

    Behavioral: Group Psychotherapy

  • Active comparator
    Sildenafil

    Participants took sildenafil citrate 50 mg as needed for sexual activity (on demand), no more than once daily, according to psychiatric prescription. Sildenafil citrate was taken with a glass of water on an empty stomach (at least 2 hours after eating). Participants met with a psychiatrist every month for 30-minutes to report adverse effects and to obtain the following month's dosage of four pills.

    Drug: Sildenafil citrate

  • Active comparator
    Group Psychotherapy (GP) plus Sildenafil

    The same as above.

    Other: Group Psychotherapy plus Sildenafil citrate

Interventions

  • BehavioralGroup Psychotherapy
  • OtherGroup Psychotherapy plus Sildenafil citrate
  • DrugSildenafil citrate
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Satisfaction with the treatment

    Changes in scores of EDITS question 1 (satisfaction with the treatment), from baseline to endpoint and 3-months follow-up in the three groups.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Confidence in engaging in sexual activity

    Changes in EDITS questions 7 (confidence in engaging in sexual activity) evaluated in three study periods: baseline, end-point and 3-months follow-up in the three groups.

  2. Naturalness in engaging in sexual activity

    Changes in EDITS questions 11 (naturalness in engaging in sexual activity), evaluated in three study periods: baseline, end-point and 3-months follow-up in the three groups.

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

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References and documents

Publications

  • Melnik T, Abdo CH, de Moraes JF, Riera R. Satisfaction with the treatment, confidence and 'naturalness' in engaging in sexual activity in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial of three therapeutic approaches. BJU Int. 2012 Apr;109(8):1213-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10516.x. Epub 2011 Aug 22. PubMed 22455403 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 30, 2010, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01153204
Lead sponsor
Federal University of São Paulo
Collaborators
University of Sao Paulo
First posted
Jun 30, 2010
Last update
Jun 30, 2010

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2010. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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