2.1. Procedure
anxiety, sexual dysfunction, MDD, depression, SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, sleep complaints
MAY
The current study was a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial among females with MDD and SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, undergoing a standardized treatment with sertraline at therapeutic dosages, and assigned either to the Aphrodite or to the placebo condition. From May to July 2023, eligible females with MDD, taking sertraline for at least six weeks, and routinely treated as out-patients of the Farabi Hospital (Kermanshah, Iran) were approached to participate in the present study. After a thorough clinical interview, including the examination of inclusion and exclusion criteria (see below), participants were fully informed about the study aims and about the confidential and secure data handling. Thereafter, participants signed the written informed consent. At baseline and four and eight weeks later (study end), participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering symptoms of sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and sleep complaints (see below). The Review Board of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Kermanshah, Iran) approved the study, which was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles in the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments [