Women's Desire: How Online Therapy Can Help

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Dysfunction (HSDD)

Low sexual desire in women is a common issue. When it causes distress, it's called hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD). Two types of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapy (MBT), can help. Both can be done online.

The Study

A study looked at 212 women with HSDD. They were split into two groups:

• One group did CBT
• The other did MBT

Both groups completed eight online modules. They filled out surveys:

• Before and after treatment
• At 3, 6, and 12 months

Key Factors Analyzed

The study examined nine factors that might explain why the treatments work:

1. Mindfulness
2. Self-compassion
3. Rumination
4. Body connection
5. Self-consciousness
6. Relationship satisfaction
7. Sexual communication
8. Depression
9. Anxiety

Findings

• Self-compassion and body connection helped explain why the treatments worked.
• Effects were small, explaining only up to 15% of the total effects.
• No big differences between CBT and MBT.

Conclusion

The study shows that managing emotions and being aware of the body are important for treating HSDD. However, more research is needed to improve these treatments.