Bien que les recherches menées sur les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience démontrent une réelle efficacité dans la prise en charge de divers troubles psychologiques, ces approches ont paradoxalement été peu étudiées dans le champ de la sexologie. L’objectif premier de cette communication portera sur la mise en évidence, d’une part, de l’importance des paramètres cognitifs et relationnels dans la sexualité, et, d’autre part, des résultats prometteurs d’études ayant exploré l’intérêt de l’intégration de la pleine conscience à des programmes sexothérapeutiques. Elle s’emploiera ensuite, après avoir mis en lumière les différents modes d’actions de la Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), à préciser la pertinence propre de ce programme par rapport aux troubles sexuels.

Mindfulness-based cognitive interventions are increasingly making their way into the field of healthcare on account of proven effects in a wide range of mental disorders. Despite the psychological aspect emphazised in the etiology of sexual disorders, they paradoxically have been less investigated in terms of sexual problem management. The objective of this paper will be to highlight through the review of studies relating to the integration of mindfulness in sexotherapeutic programs the applicability potential of these approaches and, more particularly, to examine the specific relevance of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

To show the interest of mindfulness for sexual problems, which is the major component of the MBCT intervention, we have first reviewed the underlying psychological causes of sexual dysfunctions through the DSM-4TR criteria and the main international search engines Interscience Wiley, PsycARTICLES, PubMed, Science Direct and Springerlink. Moreover, this bibliographic review has enabled us to select the studies relating to the use of mindfulness in the field of sexology.

This research has enabled to show four main types of etiological factors of psychological type, namely cognitive, emotional, behavioural and environmental factors. The scientific literature points out more specifically the key role of cognitive parameters in sexuality, especially through the influence of negative automatic thoughts and distractions, and of relational parameters such as a bad communication in the couple. Furthermore, it reveals a paucity of empirical studies and two main orientations targeted respectively on the relevance of mindfulness to sexual or relational problems, as well as, to our knowledge, no study about MBCT in that research field.

Considering the action process of the multimodal MBCT program detailed in this paper, the highlighting of the obvious link between cognitive factors and sexual dysfunctions and the promising results of the studies integrating mindfulness in sexotherapeutic treatment, this new kind of approach seems to be of great interest for the management of sexual dysfunctions and, more specifically, through the relapse prevention which is a fundamental aspect of any sexual therapy.