Sexual Health & Compulsivity
Abstract
Background and aims: CSBD (compulsive sexual behavior disorder) is often criticized for a lack of studies on treatment efficacy and an over-emphasis on behavior change rather than on emotional well-being. This paper explores the effectiveness of providing an online, self-guided treatment program that reduces commonly recognized barriers to treatment seeking, namely stigma, shame, access and cost.
Method: We recruited 96 participants who self-identified as struggling with CSBD, 68 of whom met the study inclusion criteria. The program consisted of 60 podcasts with an accompanying digital workbook that took users through the psycho-educational CHOICE Recovery Model.
Results: Adherence to the program was good with 55% completing the course. The relevance of the course content was rated highly and, on completion, all but one participant felt more confident about their recovery. Improvements were seen in the reported reduction of unwanted behaviors and preoccupation with those behaviors as well as emotional wellbeing. There were also improvements in risk, including a reduction in suicidality and the risk of breaking the law.
Conclusions: The results support previous studies demonstrating the benefits of online interventions and indicates that this treatment model design is effective, both in terms of behavior change and improvements in emotional wellbeing and risk.
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