Abstract: Pharmacological Treatment of Parphilias: International Guidelines

The pharmacological treatment of the parphilias developed in the 1960s. Most of the pharmacological treatments have been off label as there have been difficulties in obtaining pharmaceutical industry support for additional indications for pharmacological treatment of the parphilias. There are three types of pharmacological agents that are used for treatment of the parphilias, antiandrogens; hormonal agents; and SSRIs. The neurobiology of sexual behaviour is well-established. In general terms, the neurobiology and neuropharmacology of sexual behaviour is better understood than common pharmacological treatments in psychiatry for anxiety depression and psychosis. The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) established a Task force to review the evidence-based support for these pharmacological treatments with the aim of establishing international guidelines. Over approximately a two-year period all the published studies on pharmacological treatment of the parphilias that met established criteria were reviewed and rated according to these evidence-based guidelines. This presentation is a detailed overview of the pharmacological treatment of the parphilias according to evidence-based criteria and the International Guidelines put forward by the WFSBP.