Hypersexuality: The controversial mismatch of the psychiatric diagnosis

Hypersexuality is characterized by intrusive fantasies and thoughts regarding sex, excessive sexual behaviours, and the inability to control one's own sexuality, resulting in an impairment of relational and social life. While several clinical histories and empirical research consider hypersexuality as a disorder, the last version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not include hypersexuality as a psychopathological category in se. This has generated controversy among clinicians and researchers and a mismatch with the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). However, different theoretical models are related to hypersexuality, i.e.The compulsivity model, the impulsivity model and the addiction model. This paper addresses the psychopathology of hypersexuality, including treatment and related comorbid conditions.