Grant: Operating Grant

Distressing low sexual desire afflicts a third of women across ages and significantly impacts quality of life and overall health. Over the past decade, the Principal Applicant has been developing and testing mindfulness-based interventions for a variety of sexual concerns in women. Mindfulness is an ancient eastern practice that emphasizes present-moment, non-judgmental awareness, and since the 1970s, it has been found effective for a large variety of medical ailments from chronic pain to depression to traumatic brain injury. A 4-session group mindfulness significantly improves sexual desire and mood and is associated with lasting improvements 6 months later. The aim of this study is to expand and test an 8-session group mindfulness program against a support group for women diagnosed with "Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder". We are focused on improvements in self-reported sexual desire and distress, but also in stress (dys)regulation, measured by the cortisol-to-DHEA ratio, given that 8-session mindfulness programs significantly reduce hormonal and self-report indicators of stress, and because stress is heavily implicated in sexual dysfunction for women. Furthermore, in a controlled laboratory setting, we will test improvements in the agreement (i.e., concordance) between genital response (as measured with a vaginal probe) and self-reported sexual arousal as women view erotic stimuli. A test of interoceptive awareness will allow us to understand potential ways in which treatment improves desire. Given the wide prevalence of off-label prescribing of drugs for low desire in women despite their marginal benefits over placebo and concerns about safety, the current study has the potential to significantly and safely improve the personal well-being of up to a third of Canadian women who likely suffer from sexual dysfunction. We plan a series of public talks and social media to disseminate the findings.