ABSTRACT

Progress toward establishing the effectiveness of biopsychosocial treatment for patients with sexual problems is limited by the lack of brief measurement tools assessing change across various domains of the treatment model. We developed and psychometrically validated a new clinical evaluation tool, the Sexual Function Evaluation Questionnaire (SFEQ) to meet this gap. The SFEQ combines into a single scale the best performing items from two instruments that were piloted in a UK sexual problems clinic (n = 486): the Natsal-SF Clinical Version and the National Sexual Outcomes Group 1 measure. Internal construct validity evidence from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 16-item measure consisting of one overarching dimension of overall sexual function distributed along four subscales: problem distress, partner relationship, sex life, and sexual confidence. The measure had satisfactory configural, metric, and scalar invariance over time and across groups based on gender, ethnicity, and age. Correlations with patient depression and anxiety demonstrated external validity. Change in scores over the course of therapy varied as predicted, with greater improvement in younger patients and in areas more amenable to change via therapy (sexual confidence and problem distress). The SFEQ is a brief clinical tool with the potential to assess sexual function and evaluate the effectiveness of biopsychosocial treatment programs.

摘要

由于缺乏评估治疗模型各个领域变化的简短测量工具，在建立针对性问题患者的生物心理社会治疗有效性方面取得的进展受到限制。我们开发并通过心理测量验证了一种新的临床评估工具，即性功能评估问卷 (SFEQ)，以弥补这一差距。SFEQ 将在英国性问题诊所试用的两种仪器中表现最好的项目组合成一个单一的量表 ( n= 486）：Natsal-SF 临床版本和国家性结果组 1 测量。来自探索性和验证性因素分析的内部结构有效性证据支持一项 16 项措施，其中包括分布在四个分量表上的总体性功能的一个总体维度：问题困扰、伴侣关系、性生活和性信心。随着时间的推移和跨基于性别、种族和年龄的群体，该测量具有令人满意的配置、度量和标量不变性。与患者抑郁和焦虑的相关性证明了外部有效性。治疗过程中分数的变化如预期的那样变化，年轻患者和更容易通过治疗改变的领域（性信心和问题困扰）有更大的改善。