Mediating Effect of Psychological Distress and Sexual Satisfaction in Puerto Ricans with Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed in the male population in Puerto Rico. However, it is little studied in the field of health, specifically in the field of clinical health psychology. The present study examines whether emotional distress and sexual satisfaction mediate the relationship between erectile dysfunction and quality of life and if erectile dysfunction is related to the treatment. For this, a quantitative exploratory design was used. The sample was 44 patients between the ages of 50 to 86 years. It was compiled by availability in different urologists' offices. For its collection, several meetings were held with specialists, a data collection logistics was established, in which the administrative staff identified the participants through their ICD 10 diagnoses. The participants completed four self-administered questionnaires, which most of them showed an appropriate Cronbach's Alpha. The results indicated that exist a low moderately significant relationship between treatment and erectile dysfunction (b = −0.35, 95% BcCI [−0.82, −0.03]) and that there is an indirect effect of psychological distress (b = −0.35, 95 % BcCI [−0.82, −0.03]) and sexual satisfaction (b = −.87, 95% BcCI [−2.18, −0.24] in the relationship between erectile dysfunction and the patient's quality of life. The preliminary data from the present study allow the offering of psychotherapeutic treatments focused on this population.