The (cost)effectiveness of brief, anonymous and costfree sex counselling on (mental) health.

The capacity to form romantic relationships and the sexual health of adolescents in the Netherlands are compromised by several factors, such as young age of first intercourse and adolescent depression. Several thresholds like costs and trust prevent adolescents to seek help for their sexual problems. To overcome these thresholds, brief sex counselling has been developed. It has been used successively since 2006 within the Rotterdam Public Health Service (GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond), but there is lack of information about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of brief sex counselling. Therefore, in the current study we will evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness of brief sex counselling for sexual problems in adolescents between 18 and 25 years of age.

Brief sex counselling will improve (mental) health and will be at least as effective as but less expensive than a longer and more intensive sexological treatment.

1. Baseline, end and follouw-up:

A. Sexual functioning (Vragenlijst voor het ignaleren van Seksuele Disfuncties, Female Sexual Functional Index, International Index of Erectile Function);

B. Depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale);

C. Mental health problems (Brief-Symptom Inventory, Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey);

D. Costs (cost questionnaire);

E. Self-esteem and relationship satisfaction (Self-Esteem and Relationship Questionnaire).

2. Intermediate:

A. Sexual functioning (Female Sexual Funtional Index/International Index of Erectile Funtion);

B. Costs (cost questionnaire).

1. Brief sex counselling;

2. Intensive sexological treatment;

3. Waitinglist.