A brief mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral intervention improves sexual functioning versus wait-list control in women treated for gynecologic cancer

Abstract

Goal: The goal of this study was to evaluate a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral intervention for sexual dysfunction in gynecologic cancer survivors compared to a wait-list control group.

Methods: Thirty-one survivors of endometrial or cervical cancer (mean age 54.0, range 31-64) who self-reported significant and distressing sexual desire and/or sexual arousal concerns were assigned either to three, 90-minute mindfulness-based cognitive behavior therapy sessions or two months of wait-list control prior to entering the treatment arm. Validated measures of sexual response, sexual distress, and mood, as well as laboratory-evoked physiological and subjective sexual arousal were assessed at pre-, one month post-, and 6-months following treatment.

Results: There were no significant effects of the wait-list condition on any measure. Treatment led to significant improvements in all domains of sexual response, and a trend towards significance for reducing sexual distress. Perception of genital arousal during an erotic film was also significantly increased following the intervention despite no change in physiologically-measured sexual arousal.

Conclusions: A brief mindfulness-based intervention was effective for improving sexual functioning. Geographic restrictions permitted only a select sample of survivors to participate, thus, the generalizability of the findings is limited. Future studies should aim to develop online modalities for treatment administration to overcome this limitation.

Fig. 1

Participant flow through study procedures.

Fig. 2

Effects of the intervention on perception of genital arousal and subjective sexual arousal during an erotic film in the laboratory. Data represent the mean difference (erotic minus neutral film conditions) and standard error of the mean. Range of possible values: 1–7 with higher scores denoting a greater sexual response. Legend: Dark bars represent values at pre-treatment. Grey bars represent values at post-treatment.