New study: Sex drive and antidepressents

Plum Bristow

News Writer

Content warning: depression, antidepressents.

Student life can be difficult; moving away from home for the first time, pressures of exams and deadlines, and coping with financial difficulties - it’s no surprise that many students are vulnerable to depression and other mental health struggles.

According to the student support organisation, Ranstad, over a quarter of students experience a decline in their mental health during their journey through university.

There are different approaches to treating depression, including talking therapy, mindfulness and exercise, but sometimes a doctor might prescribe antidepressants.

Antidepressants can help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression, lifting mood and enabling a person to regain focus and begin to engage better with their studies.

Whilst these drugs can be a highly effective way of improving symptoms and overall functioning, there are some side effects which some people might be embarrassed about or find difficult to t alk about. dysfunction, specifically reporting difficulty around orgasms or completing orgasms.

A recent study involving the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute in Cambridge examined the effects of the antidepressant drug escitalopram, revealing that one potential side effect of the drug was difficulty experiencing a full orgasm. The study involved 66 volunteers, placed randomly into two groups, 32 receiving the active drug and 34 receiving a placebo.

This is not the first study to highlight a link between difficulties with orgasm and taking antidepressants. Sexual dysfunction is often listed as one of the side effects within the information that comes with the medication, but many recipients have reported being unaware of these.

To understand how this may impact students, Concrete started by talking to a student who has experienced depression. The student - who opted to remain anonymous - described how antidepressants helped her through her depressive illness but did have side effects, including a reduction in her sex drive.

Temple, who told us, “Reduced libido (and sexual dysfunction more widely) can be a symptom of depression.

It is true that sexual dysfunction could impact mental well-being, but the more salient point is that being depressed is likely to impact sexual functioning too, so leaving it untreated can be equally detrimental” information on managing student life, well-being and understanding more about mental health treatment. Most importantly, there is your GP; they will be in the best position to listen and guide you through your options so that you can decide the best way forward.

The volunteers were then tested using a range of measures, including cognition, mood and a questionnaire examining changes in sexual functioning. The questionnaire results were compared for the active drug and placebo group, and it was found that the active group scored significantly lower in sexual

She described feelings of frustration around the changes in her libido but balanced this out with the longerterm gains to her mental health. It was clear from her how much the medication had helped her through her recovery through a difficult time, even suggesting it saved her life by stating, “if I hadn’t been on the Image: Pixabay medication, I don’t think I’d be here today”.

To gain a medical perspective, Concrete spoke to NHS Psychiatrist Dr

Dr Temple felt it was important to talk openly about sexual functioning and mental health, as this might enable people experiencing difficulties with their sex life or struggling with their mental health to speak up and seek appropriate support. He went on to emphasise how anyone experiencing difficult side effects from antidepressants should not simply stop taking them but instead talk to their doctor. This is because suddenly stopping medication can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, including trouble sleeping, stomach problems, and feelings of irritability, confusion, or anxiety, which can last several weeks.

There is help here at the UEA; you can self-refer to a number of support services, including talking therapy, via the UEA medical centre. Other sources of support include Mind (www.mind.org.uk) - a mental health charity that can provide support and