HYPERSEXUALITY IN SEVERE MENTAL RETARDATION : A CASE REPORT
Keywords:
Hypersexuality, Mental Retardation, Intellectual Disability, Sexual AbuseAbstract
Hypersexuality is a condition characterised by excessive sexual thoughts, urges and behaviours that may cause distress and impairment of personal, social and occupational functioning. We report the case of a woman, Ms. P, aged 23 years, diagnosed with excessive sexual drive accompanied by severe mental retardation. She was reported to be a victim of sexual abuse, having been subjected to sexual intercourse by her neighbour on several occasions. Following these events, the patient developed an addiction-like pattern of behaviour. Every day she would recount the sexual intercourse she had experienced and demonstrate the movements in detail without being asked. Intelligence quotient (IQ) testing placed the patient within the 20–34 range. On the basis of the IQ test result and the presenting signs and symptoms, the patient was classified according to PPDGJ-III (the Indonesian Diagnostic Guidelines for Mental Disorders, third edition) as having severe mental retardation. Most persons with intellectual disability have difficulty identifying inappropriate touch, which renders them more vulnerable to sexual abuse(8). According to Tomsa et al. (2021), the prevalence of sexual abuse is estimated to range from 7% to 34% among adults with intellectual disability. The therapeutic options for this patient consisted of antidopaminergic pharmacotherapy, psychoeducation for the family, and the use of contraception to prevent pregnancy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ivan Aulia Rizka, Glorio Immanuel (Author)
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