OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to assess marital and sexual satisfaction among patients with schizophrenia compared to the general population and to evaluate the factors that may affect these levels. METHODS: Marital and sexual satisfaction of 66 married schizophrenic patients and 162 married normal controls were assessed with Enriching and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness and Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory. We compared the differences in marital and sexual satisfaction and influential variables between these two groups through analysis of covariance with adjustment for age and the duration of marriage. Factors associated with marital and sexual satisfaction were identified with multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia showed lower satisfaction with their marriage (p=0.018) and sexual lives (p<0.001) compared to the controls. Marital satisfaction of schizophrenics was influenced by violence from spouse, whereas their sexual satisfaction was affected by age, violence from spouse, conversation frequency after sexual relations, and revealing psychiatric history to spouse before marriage. There was a significant relationship between marital and sexual satisfaction in both groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia may have marital and sexual problems which can be caused directly or indirectly by symptoms and course of the disease. These results suggest that evaluation and appropriate intervention in the marriage and sexual lives of schizophrenics is necessary and important.
Happiness ; Humans ; Marriage ; Schizophrenia ; Spouses ; Violence