Association of psychological factors, patients’ knowledge, and management among patients with erectile dysfunction

BACKGROUND Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common health problems in men. ED can significantly affect a man's psychological well-being and overall health. PURPOSE To investigate the association of psychological factors, patients' knowledge, and management among ED patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 93 patients with an age range from 31 to 81 years who have undergone treatment for ED were included in this study. RESULTS It was found that the feeling of blame (P=0.001), guilt (P=0.001), anger or bitterness (P=0.001), depression (P=0.001), feeling like a failure (P=0.001), and the feeling of letting down a partner during intercourse (P=0.001) were significantly associated with ED. Age was also found to be significantly associated with patients' psychological scale (P=0.004). In addition, the majority of patients in this study practice the right method of administration of ED therapy. However, no significant correlation was found between patients' knowledge of ED therapy and demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION This study concluded that ED does affect psychological well-being of people. In addition, patient's knowledge about ED and its management is also crucial in ensuring that the patient achieves optimal therapeutic outcomes from ED therapy.