{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T19:38:53Z","timestamp":1786649933960,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,1]],"date-time":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759276800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Vaginismus, categorized under\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">ICD-11<\/jats:italic>\n                      as a sexual pain-penetration disorder, is often overlooked in clinical practice, particularly in culturally conservative societies where stigma, lack of awareness, and gendered misconceptions delay help-seeking. This case series examines the interdisciplinary management of vaginismus.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Cases:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Five women (ages 22\u201335) with lifelong or acquired vaginismus, diverse comorbidities (e.g., dysthymia, childhood trauma, infertility distress), and delayed help-seeking due to the sociocultural barriers were managed through an interdisciplinary model. Gynecological assessments ruled out organic causes, followed by psychiatric evaluation, and tailored interventions: pharmacotherapy (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), duloxetine, propranolol), psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral techniques (Jacobson\u2019s relaxation, sensate focus), and vaginal dilator therapy. Joint sessions with spouses and graded desensitization were emphasized. Outcomes were tracked over 3\u20138 months. All patients achieved successful penetrative intercourse and reported improved psychological well-being. Key facilitators included spousal support, trauma-informed therapy, and combined psychiatric-gynecological care. Interventions reduced anticipatory anxiety, resolved pelvic floor dysfunction, and restored marital harmony. Two patients conceived post-treatment.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Interdisciplinary collaboration between mental health and gynecological teams is critical for managing vaginismus, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where stigma delays care. The case series highlights the need for enhanced training of gynecologists and mental health professionals to recognize and manage vaginismus as a treatable disorder rather than a taboo subject. This patient series adds to the limited literature on vaginismus from LMICs and serves as an educational resource for clinicians and trainees encountering female sexual dysfunctions in similar sociocultural settings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/indianjpsychiatry_757_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T14:00:14Z","timestamp":1760796014000},"page":"996-1000","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Interdisciplinary management of vaginismus: Case series on psycho-behavioral interventions by mental health and gynecological teams"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"67","author":[{"given":"Swapnajeet","family":"Sahoo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shreyashi","family":"Koner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aashima","family":"Arora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bharti","family":"Joshi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eepsita","family":"Mishra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandeep","family":"Grover","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"435","DOI":"10.1097\/YCO.0000000000000197","article-title":"Sexual disorders in DSM-5 and ICD-11: A conceptual framework","volume":"28","author":"Campbell","year":"2015","journal-title":"Curr Opin Psychiatry"},{"key":"R2-20260421","first-page":"8","article-title":"Sexual disorders in ICD-11. Innovations and their discussion","author":"Kocharyan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychol Ment Health Care"},{"key":"R3-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01541933","article-title":"Incidence and prevalence of the sexual dysfunctions: a critical review of the empirical literature","volume":"19","author":"Spector","year":"1990","journal-title":"Arch Sex Behav"},{"key":"R4-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.4274\/balkanmedj.galenos.2023.2022-9-62","article-title":"Vaginismus: Diagnostic challenges and proposed diagnostic criteria","volume":"41","author":"Raveendran","year":"2024","journal-title":"Balkan Med J"},{"key":"R5-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1752","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsxm.2018.10.003","article-title":"Outcome of medical and psychosexual interventions for vaginismus: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"15","author":"Maseroli","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"R6-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.2147\/NDT.S151920","article-title":"Childhood trauma and dissociation among women with genito-pelvic pain\/penetration disorder","volume":"14","author":"\u00d6zen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat"},{"key":"R7-20260421","first-page":"CD001760","article-title":"Interventions for vaginismus","volume":"12","author":"Melnik","year":"2012","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"R8-20260421","first-page":"e66723","article-title":"Forbidden conversations: A comprehensive exploration of taboos in sexual and reproductive health","volume":"16","author":"Mohd Tohit","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"R9-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1097\/01.ogx.0000157978.91721.0f","article-title":"Female sexual dysfunction: Principles of diagnosis and therapy","volume":"60","author":"Pauls","year":"2005","journal-title":"Obstet Gynecol Surv"},{"key":"R10-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2587","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1743-6109.2008.00984.x","article-title":"Female sexual dysfunction, sexual distress, and compatibility with partner","volume":"5","author":"Witting","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"R11-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100381","DOI":"10.1016\/j.esxm.2021.100381","article-title":"The pattern of help-seeking behavior among patients with sexual dysfunctions attending in psychiatry outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh","volume":"9","author":"Acharjee","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sex Med"},{"key":"R12-20260421","first-page":"46","article-title":"Quantitative approaches to sex education in south Asia: The cases of Bangladesh and India","volume":"2","author":"Nazrul","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int J Social Sci Educ Res"},{"key":"R13-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e233","DOI":"10.1016\/j.esxm.2016.07.002","article-title":"Initiators and barriers to discussion and treatment of premature ejaculation among men and their partners in asia pacific \u2013 results from a web-based survey","volume":"4","author":"Lee","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sex Med"},{"key":"R14-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/15332691.2023.2264470","article-title":"Barriers to seeking treatment for sexual difficulties in sex therapy","volume":"23","author":"Sever","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Couple Relatsh Ther"},{"key":"R15-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"916","DOI":"10.2174\/1389450118666170222153908","article-title":"The neurobiology and psychiatric perspective of vaginismus: Linking the pharmacological and psycho-social interventions","volume":"19","author":"Kadir","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr Drug Targets"},{"key":"R16-20260421","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1080\/16506079708412484","article-title":"A cognitive behavioral treatment model of vaginismus","volume":"26","author":"Wijma","year":"1997","journal-title":"Scand J Behav Ther"}],"container-title":["Indian Journal of Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/indianjpsychiatry_757_25","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T19:00:09Z","timestamp":1786647609000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/indianjpsychiatry_757_25"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/indianjpsychiatry_757_25","relation":{},"ISSN":["0019-5545","1998-3794"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0019-5545","type":"print"},{"value":"1998-3794","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-07-22","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-09-30","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}