The Silent Struggle: Understanding Psychological Distress in Married Men With Sexual Dysfunction in Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction is an overlooked condition that severely affects the psychological health of a married male, especially in a traditionalist society, like Pakistan. For this purpose, this study aims to assess psychological distress among married men with sexual dysfunction receiving psychotherapeutic treatment in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 150 married men aged between 25 and 40 years with diagnosed sexual dysfunction. Kessler-10 (K10), a self-reported psychological distress scale was used to measure psychological distress and Sexual Health Questionnaire which is a brief self-reported sexual health questionnaire based on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used to validate the presence of sexual dysfunction in males. Results: Participants (N=150) were married men aged 25–40, with most (43.3%) between 31–35 years and 76% reporting satisfactory economic status. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between psychological distress and sexual-dysfunction domains, including sexual desire (r = −0.168, p = 0.04) and intercourse satisfaction (r = −0.241, p = 0.003), indicating an inverse relationship without implying causation. Conclusion: The findings revealed a significant negative association between sexual dysfunction and psychological distress, particularly in the domains of sexual desire dysfunction (SDD) and intercourse satisfaction dysfunction (ISD). Other dimensions, including erectile dysfunction (ED), orgasm dysfunction (OD), and overall sexual dysfunction (OSD), showed weaker or non-significant associations. The result highlights the urgent need for culturally sensitive interventions and mental health support for men with sexual dysfunction in Pakistan.

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