Determining the Role of Protocol Type in the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Sexual Function
Sajedeh Behtaj, Shahram Vaziri, Sara Hashemi
Quarterly of Experimental and Cognitive Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.61838/qecp.278 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Women with sexual dysfunction, drawn from studies published in the Magiran and SID databases |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) mindfulness-based sex therapy |
| Duration | 8-session MBSR protocol, 8-session MBCT protocol, 12-session MBCT protocol, 6-session mindfulness-based sex therapy protocol |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The 8-session MBSR protocol showed the strongest positive effect on women's sexual function (effect sizes 1.61 fixed-effects and 1.70 random-effects), followed by 8-session MBCT (1.10 and 1.62), 12-session MBCT (0.864 and 0.893), and 6-session mindfulness-based sex therapy (0.707 in both models), which was weakest. The authors conclude that protocol type matters, with MBSR outperforming the other mindfulness-based approaches. |
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the role of protocol type in the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy on sexual function. Methods and Materials: This research employed a meta-analytic design conducted to synthesize and analyze the results of various studies. The statistical population of this study included all research examining the effect of mindfulness-based therapies on female sexual dysfunction published in the Magiran and SID databases. The article search was carried out between 2014 and 2024. For data collection, a meta-analysis worksheet was used, which included information such as study identification, sample characteristics, and statistical indicators. After screening the studies, a total of 23 studies were included in the final analysis.
Findings: The results showed that for the MBSR protocol (8 sessions), the effect size in the fixed-effects model was 1.61 and in the random-effects model was 1.70, indicating a positive and significant effect on women’s sexual function. This protocol ranked highest compared to other protocols and clearly demonstrated greater effectiveness. In the 8-session mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) protocol, the effect size was 1.10 in the fixed-effects model and 1.62 in the random-effects model, which indicates a positive effect on women’s sexual function, but lower than that of the MBSR protocol. The 12-session MBCT protocol, with an effect size of 0.864 in the fixed-effects model and 0.893 in the random-effects model, showed weaker effectiveness compared to other protocols. Finally, the 6-session mindfulness-based sex therapy protocol, with an effect size of 0.707 in both the fixed- and random-effects models, had the lowest effectiveness among the therapeutic protocols studied.
Conclusion: In conclusion, overall, the 8-session MBSR protocol demonstrated stronger effectiveness on women’s sexual function compared to other protocols, while the mindfulness-based sex therapy protocol had the weakest effect.