Psychological Distress is Correlated with Erectile Dysfunction Among Patients Receiving Methadone Maintenance in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE

Although erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent in patients receiving long-term methadone maintenance, studies in Chinese culture exploring the relationship between psychological distress and ED are scarce.

METHODS

One hundred eighty-seven male patients in methadone maintenance treatment were assessed in this cross-sectional study. Instruments included the Opiate Treatment Index (OTI) to evaluate the health-related consequences of methadone treatment and the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (CHQ-12) for the assessment of psychological distress, respectively. ED was defined by the International Index of Erectile Function 15. Quality of life was measured using the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions. We constructed a multiple linear regression model to examine the associations between the determinants and ED.

RESULTS

The CHQ-12 score had a significant relationship with the severity of ED after controlling for all important variables. The social functioning domain of the OTI and methadone dose was also significantly correlated with ED.

CONCLUSIONS

The strong relationship between psychological distress and ED emphasized the importance of both diagnosis and management of ED among methadone patients receiving long-term maintenance treatment. The etiological relationship between methadone dose and ED require further investigation.