- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT01690897
Randomized Comparison of Mindfulness Versus Group Support for Treatment of Low Sexual Desire in Women (DESIRE)
April 26, 2021 updated by: Lori Brotto, University of British Columbia
The purpose of this study is to determine whether an 8-session mindfulness-based intervention (MBCT group) is effective for women with low sexual interest/desire in reducing sexual distress, improving their sexual response, and increasing their mindful skills, compared to a support group.
Study Overview
Status
Completed
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
HYPOTHESES:
- Compared to baseline, the MBCT group will have significant post-treatment improvements in self-report measures of: (a) sexual distress; (b) sexual desire, subjective sexual arousal, perception of genital arousal, and sexual pleasure; (c) relationship satisfaction; (d) depressive symptoms and rumination; (e) perceived stress, general anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and sexuality-related situational anxiety (as self-reported at the sexual arousal assessment); and (f) mindfulness, self-compassion, non-attachment, and interoceptive awareness.
- Compared to baseline, the MBCT group will have significant post-treatment improvements in laboratory physiological measures of: (a) genital sexual response as measured by a vaginal photoplethysmograph, (b) interoceptive awareness, as measured by a heart rate perception task, and (c) cortisol:DHEA ratio as measured by hormonal assays of saliva samples.
- We hypothesize that the changes in the endpoints listed in #1 or #2 will be significantly greater in the MBCT group than in the support group.
- We hypothesize that participation in the MBCT group will significantly increase concordance between genital and subjective sexual arousal.
- Mindfulness, self-compassion, and interoceptive awareness will significantly mediate improvements in sexual distress and desire in the MBCT group at all post-treatment assessment points.
- Expectations of change with treatment will not significantly moderate improvements in sexual distress and desire in the MBCT group.
- Participants' impressions of change will be significantly greater in the MBCT group compared to the support group at all post-treatment assessment points.
- We hypothesize that participants will experience fewer breaks in the sexual response cycle throughout the course of the eight-week treatment.
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Actual)
149
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.
Study Locations
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British Columbia
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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 1M9
- Department of Gynaecology
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Participation Criteria
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
19 years to 65 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Genders Eligible for Study
Female
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- must be experiencing distressing sexual interest/desire and/or sexual arousal concerns
- must between the ages of 19 - 65
- must be fluent in English
Exclusion Criteria:
- not experiencing distressing sexual interest/desire and/or sexual arousal concerns
- not between the ages of 19-65
- unable to read, write, speak and understand English
Study Plan
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
- Allocation: RANDOMIZED
- Interventional Model: PARALLEL
- Masking: NONE
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
---|---|
EXPERIMENTAL: MBCT group
Women randomized into the MBCT group will undergo pre-treatment testing (questionnaires, saliva sample collection, and physiological assessment) within 2.5 months of beginning the mindfulness-based treatment.
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The mindfulness-based treatment for the MBCT group treatment consists of eight 2-hour long weekly sessions, based on a variety of empirically supported techniques, and integrates elements of education, mindfulness skills, and sex therapy.
In addition, participants are also given handouts and asked to complete approximately 10-60 minutes/day of at-home practice/skills, which may include reading material, mindfulness exercises, and behavioural exercises between sessions.
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ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Support group
Women randomized into the support group will undergo pre-treatment testing (questionnaires, saliva sample collection, and physiological assessment) within 2.5 months of beginning the sex therapy, education, and support treatment.
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The sex therapy, education, and support group will consist of all of the same techniques and materials in the MBCT group except for the mindfulness components in group sessions and at-home practices.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Sexual distress
Time Frame: up to 12 months post treatment
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Sexual distress will be measured with the revised version of the Female Sexual Distress Scale-R (Derogatis et al., 2008).
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up to 12 months post treatment
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Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Subjective sexual arousal
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Subjects will indicate their levels of subjective arousal while undergoing arousal testing.
A device manufactured for the UBC Sexual Health Lab called the "arousometer"- a computer mouse mounted on a metal track divided into 10 equally spaced intervals corresponding to "sexually turned off" (-2) to "the most sexually aroused you have ever been or could imagine being" (7).
This device allows continuous self-report measurement of subjective sexual arousal while viewing the erotic films.
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Interoceptive awareness
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Interoceptive awareness will be measured using the Heartbeat Perception task (Schandry, 1981) and with the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA; Mehling et al., 2012) questionnaire.
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Physiological sexual arousal
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Physiological sexual arousal will be measured with a Vaginal Photoplethysmograph (VPP) during exposure to erotic films.
The VPP measures vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) which has been found to be a sensitive and specific measure of genital arousal (Laan & Everaerd, 1995).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Sexual desire
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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The Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory (SIDI; Clayton et al. 2006) will be used to measure sexual desire.
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Stress hormone ratios
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Stress hormone ratios will be measured through calculating the cortisol:DHEA slope within participants' saliva samples.
This will be done by measuring the change in cortisol:DHEA secretions over the course of the day, and calculating a simple difference score (PM minus AM values).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Other Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Depression
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Depression will be measured with the Hamilton Depression Scale - Short Form (McIntyre et al., 2005)
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Mindfulness
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Mindfulness will be measured with the Five Factor Mindfulness questionnaire (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer & Tony, 2006).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Relationship satisfaction
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Relationship satisfaction will be measured with the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Motivations for sex
Time Frame: For Motivations for Sex Measure: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment. Time frame for sexual response cycle worksheet: measured at weeks 2, 5, and 8 of treatment.
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Motivations for sex will be measured with the Motivations for Sex Measure (Muise et al., 2013); disruptions to the sexual response cycle (each cycle is one sexual encounter, specifically the most recent sexual encounter), which will be measured using the Sexual Response Cycle Worksheet (Basson, 2000).
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For Motivations for Sex Measure: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment. Time frame for sexual response cycle worksheet: measured at weeks 2, 5, and 8 of treatment.
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Perceived stress
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Perceived stress will be measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Rumination
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Rumination will be measured with the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire - Adapted Rumination Subscale (adapted from Trapnell & Campbell, 1999 to inquire about sexuality-related rumination).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Trait anxiety and situational anxiety
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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At the sexual arousal assessments, which will be measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Lushene, 1970).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Anxiety sensitivity
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Anxiety sensitivity will be measured with the Anxiety Sensitivity Index - 3 (Taylor et al., 2007).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Self-compassion
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Self-compassion will be measured with the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, mid-treatment (between week 4 and 5 of treatment), 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Non-attachment
Time Frame: Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Non-attachment will be measures with Non-Attachment Scale (Sahdra, Shaver, & Brown, 2010).
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Up to 2.5 months before treatment, 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Expectations of change with treatment
Time Frame: Expectations Measure: after session 1. For Patient Global Impression of Change Scale: 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Will be measured with the Expectations Measure [a two-item questionnaire completed following the session 1, designed for and used in our approved mindfulness-based treatment study for provoked vestibulodynia (H12-02358)], and participants' impressions of change with treatment with the Patient Global Impression of Change Scale - Revised (adapted from Hurst & Bolton, 2004; as used in H12-02358).
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Expectations Measure: after session 1. For Patient Global Impression of Change Scale: 2-4 weeks post treatment, 6 months post treatment, and 12 months post treatment.
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Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Publications and helpful links
The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.
Study record dates
These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.
Study Major Dates
Study Start (ACTUAL)
January 1, 2015
Primary Completion (ACTUAL)
December 31, 2019
Study Completion (ACTUAL)
March 1, 2020
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
August 22, 2012
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
September 21, 2012
First Posted (ESTIMATE)
September 24, 2012
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)
April 27, 2021
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
April 26, 2021
Last Verified
April 1, 2021
More Information
Terms related to this study
Other Study ID Numbers
- H12-01659
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.
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