ReviewAddiction (Abingdon, England)2016
Should compulsive sexual behavior be considered an addiction?
Review in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 122 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
122 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 387 citations in OpenAlex.
- Treatments and interventions for compulsive sexual behavior disorder with a focus on problematic pornography use: A preregistered systematic review.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2022Pooled it
- Compulsive sexual behavior, religiosity, and spirituality: A systematic review.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of a 7-Day Pornography Abstinence Period on Withdrawal-Related Symptoms in Regular Pornography Users: A Randomized Controlled Study.Archives of sexual behavior · 2023Trial
- Sexual Dysregulation After Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke: A Critical Narrative Review of Neurobiology, Clinical Phenotypes, and Management.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Compulsive sexual behavior may be more state-like than trait-like: Findings from a three-year longitudinal representative survey.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2026Article
- Identity Transformation and the Role of Accountability in Recovery from Problematic Pornography Use: A Phenomenological-Hermeneutical Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Persistent appetitive memory in problematic pornography users.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2026Article
- Compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) and problematic pornography use (PPU): A comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and expert-informed narrative review with suggested future directions.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2026Review
- Prevalence and Factors Associated with Sexual Addiction in Men Who Have Sex with Men Seeking Treatment for Problematic Chemsex: Findings from the CHAMELEON Cross-Sectional Study.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Alcohol and cannabis use severity in relation to compulsive sexual behavior and problematic pornography use in a non-clinical sample: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Symptom-based and self-identified pornography involvement: concordance, discordance, and multidomain correlates.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Relationship between problematic pornography consumption, sexual self-esteem, and sexual machismo in men aged 18 to 30 from Honduras.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Impulsivity and sexual compulsivity - a comparison of untreated individuals with CSBD, individuals undergoing long-term treatment for CSBD, and a healthy control group.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Pornography consumption among medical students in Syria: Prevalence, patterns, and predictors.PloS one · 2026Article
- Sex differences in compulsive sexual behavior disorder.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2026Review
- Problematic Pornography Use and Psychological Distress in the USA: A Nationally Representative Study.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Clinical and Demographic Correlates of Pornography Addiction: A Cross-sectional Study from India.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2025Article
- Global research status and trends of compulsive sexual behavior disorder: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2025Review
- A Study on Childhood Trauma and Sexual Narcissism in Individuals with Compulsive Sexual Behavior Receiving Counseling.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Moderate the Association between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Among Adults in Residential Substance Use Treatment.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
62 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
aimsTo review the evidence base for classifying compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) as a non-substance or 'behavioral' addiction.
methodsData from multiple domains (e.g. epidemiological, phenomenological, clinical, biological) are reviewed and considered with respect to data from substance and gambling addictions.
resultsOverlapping features exist between CSB and substance use disorders. Common neurotransmitter systems may contribute to CSB and substance use disorders, and recent neuroimaging studies highlight similarities relating to craving and attentional biases. Similar pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments may be applicable to CSB and substance addictions, although considerable gaps in knowledge currently exist.
conclusionsDespite the growing body of research linking compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) to substance addictions, significant gaps in understanding continue to complicate classification of CSB as an addiction.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.