Examining the Effectiveness of a Group Cognitive-behavioural Treatment Program for Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder

Examining the Effectiveness of a Group Cognitive-behavioural Treatment Program for Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder/Genitopelvic Dysesthesia

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05919784

Enrollment

Registered

2023-06-26

Start date

2023-04-24

Completion date

2025-05-31

Last updated

2026-05-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder

Keywords

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, intervention

Brief summary

This study seeks to provide information regarding the effectiveness of a virtual, synchronous cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) group program for women with Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder/Genitopelvic Dysesthesia (PGAD/GPD). The program consists of 8 weekly sessions of two hours each, which focus on education and understanding, and learning skills and strategies to manage PGAD/GPD symptoms, and related mental health and lifestyle impacts, as well as structured opportunities for discussion and shared reflection. The group therapy program involves elements based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Participants in the present study will provide responses to online surveys (before, during, and immediately after treatment, also 3 and 6 months after treatment) regarding their PGAD/GPD symptoms, mental health symptoms, and sexual wellness (sexual pleasure and distress).

Interventions

BEHAVIORALCognitive behavioural therapy

The group therapy program (virtual, synchronous) involves elements based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* at least 18 years of age * fluent in English * have a physician-based diagnosis of PGAD/GPD * reside in Ontario, Canada * be comfortable answering questions about their health (mental and physical) and sexuality in online surveys * be comfortable discussing their mental and physical health and PGAD/GPD symptoms in group online therapy sessions with video on

Exclusion criteria

* under the age of 18 years * nonfluent in English * lack of physician based diagnosis of PGAD/GPD * not comfortable with answering questions about mental, physical, sexual health * not comfortable with discussing mental and physical health and PGAD/GPD symptoms in group online therapy sessions with video on * mental or physical health conditions that preclude involvement in group therapy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Symptom intensity	Baseline	Symptom intensity on a scale of 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (extremely intense symptoms). Range is 0-10. Higher scores are worse.
Symptom distress	Baseline	Symptom distress on a scale of 0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress). Range is 0-10. Higher scores are worse.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Symptom catastrophizing	Baseline	Pain Catastrophizing Scale, adapted to symptoms. Range is 0-52. Higher scores are worse.
Symptom self-efficacy	Baseline	Pain Self-Efficacy Scale, adapted to symptoms. Range is 0-60. Higher scores are better.
Resilience	Baseline	Brief Resilience Scale. Range is 6-30. Higher scores are better.

Countries

Canada

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCaroline Pukall, PhD

Queen's University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 7, 2026