ArticleFrontiers in psychology2020
Compulsive Internet Pornography Use and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of University Students in the United States.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Psychotherapy for problematic pornography use: A comprehensive meta-analysis.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2025Pooled it
- Crossing the Line: Factors Associated With Escalating Pornography Use.Journal of interpersonal violence · 2026Article
- Association Between Self-Reported Pornographic Consumption Habits and Anxiety and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Clinical Description and Sociodemographic Profile of Individuals with Cybersex Addiction in Long-Term Therapeutic Support Programs.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Compulsive Sexual Behaviors, Pornography Consumption, and Co-Occurring Disorders Among College Students.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Pornography consumption among medical students in Syria: Prevalence, patterns, and predictors.PloS one · 2026Article
- Predictors for Acceptance of Sexual Aggression Myths Among People Using Cyberporn: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Problematic Pornography Use and Clinical and Psychosocial Correlates Among Low-Income U.S. Veterans: an Exploratory Study.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2025Article
- Validation of the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale: Short Form (PPCS-6) in a Spanish Clinical Population with Gambling Disorder.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Unraveling the impact of cyberporn motivations on mental health: insights from Chinese college students.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Effects of porn addiction on mental health and personality of nursing students: a cross-sectional study in Egypt.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Young People's Intentional and Unintentional Encounters with Internet Pornography in Australia.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Substance use patterns among individuals with problematic pornography use: A scoping review.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- A comprehensive evaluation of the neurocognitive predictors of problematic alcohol use, eating, pornography, and internet use: A 6-month longitudinal study.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2024Article
- Problematic Pornography Use, Mental Health, and Suicidality among Young Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Pornography use, demographic and sexual health characteristics among university students: a gender-based comparative study of non-users, non-problematic users, and problematic users.Reproductive health · 2024Article
- Predictors of compulsive cyberporn use: A machine learning analysis.Addictive behaviors reports · 2024Article
- The fear of smartphone notifications and calls among medical students: The phone ring phobia syndrome or telephobia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2024Article
- Emotional processing deficits in individuals with problematic pornography use: Unpleasant bias and pleasant blunting.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2023Article
- Need for Sexual, Reproductive, and Mental Health Promotion Among Diverse College Students in a COVID-19 Era.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe sustained rise in negative mental health reports among university students is a source of continued global concern, and investigation continues into potential contributors to this rise. This includes the increased prevalence of risky sexual behaviors. Related is the increased prevalence of pornography use. Our study sought to explore the potential relationship between compulsive use of pornography and mental health in university students.
methodsOur sample consisted of university students (
resultsOur results indicate that 56.6% of those surveyed reported lifetime pornography use, with a significantly higher proportion of males than females reporting such use. The majority of students reported accessing pornography through internet-related technologies. Additionally, 17.0, 20.4, and 13.5% of students reported severe or extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress, respectively, with compulsive pornography use significantly affecting all three mental health parameters in both sexes. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified three factors suggesting emotional coping, dependence and preoccupation for the mCIUS items and three factors reflecting interoceptive, impotent, and extrinsic characteristics for the EmSS items. Regression analysis indicated that various demographics, items pertaining to reduced control and social impairment, and other variables pertaining to pornography use predicted mental health outcomes. Faith, morals and personal motivation were the primary variables reported to help reduce pornography use.
conclusionOur analyses indicate a significant relationship between mental health and pornography use, including behaviors reflecting behavioral addictions, highlighting the necessity for a better understanding and consideration of the potential contribution of internet pornography to negative mental health among university students.
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