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Sexual health education for young adults diagnosed with severe mental illness, intellectual disability and developmental disability. A pilot study on the eITPoSA psycho-educational intervention.
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  • Miriam Belluzzo,
  • Veronica Giaquinto,
  • Camilla Esposito,
  • Erica De Alfieri,
  • Daniela Volpe,
  • Anna Lisa Amodeo
Miriam Belluzzo
Universita degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Dipartimento di Salute Mentale e Fisica e Medicina Preventiva

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Veronica Giaquinto
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici
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Camilla Esposito
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici
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Erica De Alfieri
Universita degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Dipartimento di Salute Mentale e Fisica e Medicina Preventiva
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Daniela Volpe
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici
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Anna Lisa Amodeo
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici
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Abstract

Background: Young adults diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI), intellectual disability (ID), and developmental disability (DD) often face challenges in accessing comprehensive sexual health education. The educational Intervention and Training Program on Sexuality and Affectivity (eITPoSA) aims to address this gap by providing tailored psycho-educational interventions. Methods: A pilot study was conducted with 15 participants diagnosed with SMI, ID, and DD. The program comprised six sessions focusing on body knowledge, genital sexuality, privacy awareness, privacy protection, and hygiene and personal care. Pre- and post-intervention evaluations were carried out using monitoring and evaluation grids. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests with bootstrapped confidence intervals, and Cohen’s d to assess effect sizes. Additional valuable insights were gained from the open-ended questions designed for Modules 1, 2, and 6, as well as from the qualitative analysis of the Circles in Module 5. Results: The program demonstrated significant improvements in all areas evaluated. Mean scores for body knowledge increased from 31.43% (SD = 25.18) to 86.65% (SD = 23.98), genital sexuality from 15% (SD = 34.81) to 90% (SD = 24.00), privacy awareness from 82.94% (SD = 25.10) to 98.75% (SD = 7.16), privacy protection from 86.11% (SD = 29.65) to 95.95% (SD = 14.45), and hygiene and personal care from 47.27% (SD = 38.23) to 96.36% (SD = 12.06). All improvements were statistically significant with large effect sizes for body knowledge, genital sexuality, and hygiene and personal care. Conclusion: The eITPoSA program significantly enhances sexual and relational knowledge among young adults with SMI, ID, and DD. These results support the efficacy of tailored sexual health education programs. However, further research with larger, more diverse samples is needed to generalize these findings.
12 Aug 2024Submitted to Journal of Clinical Psychology
13 Aug 2024Submission Checks Completed
13 Aug 2024Assigned to Editor
23 Sep 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
24 Sep 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned