Week 11: Gender Dysphoria, Paraphilic Disorders, and Sexual Dysfunction

I have been under a lot of stress lately. Between my job, the house and kids, and my wife complaining, I don’t seem to have the “staying power” I used to. Our sex life used to be perfect, but now I cannot perform as well or as often as I used to. My wife does not seem to understand and now I am feeling inadequate. I have a long life in front of me and I don’t want to live without feeling like a true man.”

Larry, age 40

This week’s topics include gender dysphoria, paraphilic disorders, and sexual dysfunction. The term gender dysphoria is the diagnosis describing those persons who experience incongruence between their gender assigned at birth and their experienced gender. Paraphilic disorders include pedophilia, exhibitionism, fetishism, and voyeurism, for example. Sexual dysfunction disorders include, most commonly, male erectile disorder, female orgasmic disorder, and other disorders. These diagnoses may be treated with pharmacologic and psychotherapy modalities.

This week, you will explore ways to assess and care for persons with gender dysphoria, paraphilic disorders, and sexual dysfunction disorders as outlined in the DSM-5.

Photo Credit: Rick Gomez / Blend Images / Getty Images

Discussion: Assessment and Treatment of Gender Dysphoria, Paraphilic Disorders, and Sexual Dysfunction

Sexuality is an important part of each person’s quality of life. Research indicates that awareness of sexual identity and its importance may begin as early as age 3. However, individuals with varying diagnoses, disorders, or dysfunctions may grapple with issues related to their sexuality in their teen years, as well as into adulthood.

Assignment

· Explain the diagnostic criteria for the sexual dysfunction of female orgasmic disorder.

· Explain the evidenced-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic treatment for the sexual dysfunction of female orgasmic disorder.

· Compare differential diagnostic features of gender/sexual disorders

· Support your rationale with references to the Learning Resources or other academic resource

· N.B: Please remember to include Introduction, Conclusion and references less than 5 years old.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2014). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

· Chapter 17, “Human Sexuality and Sexual Dysfunctions” (pp. 564–599)

· Chapter 18, “Gender Dysphoria” (pp. 600–607)

Gabbard, G. O. (2014). Gabbard’s treatment of psychiatric disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publications.

· Chapter 37, “Sexual Dysfunctions”

· Chapter 38, “Paraphilias and Paraphilic Disorders”

· Chapter 39, “Gender Dysphoria”

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

· “Gender Dysphoria”

· “Paraphilic Disorders”

· “Sexual Dysfunctions”

Johnson, L., Shipherd, J., & Walton, H. M. (2016). The psychologist’s role in transgender-specific care with U.S. veterans. Psychological Services, 13(1), 69–76. doi:10.1037/ser0000030

Levenson, J. S., & Grady, M. D. (2016). The influence of childhood trauma on sexual violence and sexual deviance in adulthood. Traumatology, 22(2), 94–103. doi:10.1037/trm0000067

Hawes, S. W., Boccaccini, M. T., & Murrie, D. C. (2013). Psychopathy and the combination of psychopathy and sexual deviance as predictors of sexual recidivism: Meta-analytic findings using the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised. Psychological Assessment, 25(1), 233–243. doi:10.1037/a0030391

Required Media

Johnson, S. (Producer). (n.d.). Emotionally focused therapy with same-sex couples [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.