Comparison of the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Therapy, Biofeedback and Combined Method on Sexual Self-Efficacy in Men with Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is the most common sexual problem that has many psychological effects on the relationship between spouses. Therefore, the present study aimed the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy, biofeedback and combined method on sexual self-efficacy in men with premature ejaculation.

The research method was semi-experimental, pre-test, post-test with a control group. The studied population included all men 30 to 50 years with premature ejaculation who referred to the sexual health clinics in Tehran city in 2022. Among them, 32 men with premature ejaculation were selected based on the inclusion criteria and by purposive sampling method. Then they randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (groups of 8 people each). The Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale - Erectile Functioning (SSES-E) was used to pre-test and post-test. The first experimental group received mindfulness intervention in eight 90-minute sessions, the second experimental group received biofeedback intervention in eight 20-minute sessions, and the third experimental group received the combined method (The combination of mindfulness and biofeedback) in eight 90-minute sessions; While the control group was on the waiting list. The data were analyzed using covariance analysis (MANCOVA) and LSD post hoc test.     

No statistically significant differences were observed in the demographic variables of the groups. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean sexual self- efficacy in the experimental and control groups. Also, the findings indicated that the effectiveness of the combined method on sexual self- efficacy was more than mindfulness and biofeedback intervention.

According to the results of the present study, the of mindfulness therapy, biofeedback and combined method intervention can increase the sexual self- efficacy of men with premature ejaculation. It is suggested that therapists and counselors use these treatments in order to improve the sexual self- efficacy of men with premature ejaculation along with other therapeutic interventions.