Mental Health
The experience of individuals filmed for pornography production: a history of continuous polyvictimization and ongoing mental health challenges.
Open Access: Yes.
Abstract
Purpose: While research and public debate have increasingly focused on the effects of pornography consumption, the experiences of those documented in pornography have been largely overlooked. This study aims to address this gap by examining the vulnerabilities and health risks faced by this population.
Materials and methods: Individuals aged 18 and older documented in pornography in Sweden were recruited to participate in face-to-face interviews. A total of 120 participants completed study-specific questions and standardized questionnaires on their background, experiences in pornography, and health status. Descriptive statistics were reported, and regression analyses were performed to assess factors impacting PTSD symptom severity and dissociative symptoms.
Results: Participants reported high levels of abuse both in childhood and during pornography production. Nearly all participants had experienced sexual abuse (88%), psychological abuse (90%), and physical abuse (79%) as children. In the context of pornography production, they were subjected to further abuse and exploitation, including verbal abuse (87%), rape (65%), physical assault (56%), third-party control (56%), and online harassment (57%). The consequences of this continuous polyvictimization were significant: 84% exhibited clinically significant PTSD symptoms, 60% clinically significant dissociative symptoms, 69% had attempted suicide, and 80% had been diagnosed with at least one mental health problem. Regression analyses revealed that childhood and online polyvictimization significantly predicted PTSD symptom severity, while polyvictimization within pornography production predicted dissociative symptoms.
Conclusions: Our findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive mental health interventions and legal reform to protect this vulnerable population and address the unique harms stemming from documentation in pornography.
Relevance
“Our findings reveal a continuous cycle of violence and exploitation that begins in childhood and extends into adulthood, where early victimization serving as a precursor to ongoing exploitation in commercial pornography. The exploitation uncovered is multifaceted, encompassing rape, torture, trafficking, and other forms of harm. Additionally, the study highlights the significant impact of online pornography dissemination, which exacerbates these harms” with “alarmingly high rates of PTSD, dissociation, self-harm, suicidality, and other mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety.”
“Most participants experienced sexual abuse (88.3%), psychological abuse (90.0%), and physical abuse (78.3%) during childhood, with nearly all suffering at least one form of abuse (95.8%). Approximately one-third (35.8%) of participants had been placed in foster care or institutionalized care during their childhood.”
“Most participants (76.7%) had been filmed for pornography as a minor… Nearly all had experiences in conventional prostitution (85.8%). Additionally, participants reported multiple forms of violence [within the pornography industry], including verbal abuse (86.7%), physical assault (56.1%), and rape (65.2%). They also reported experiences of control and coercion, including being coerced to engage in certain sexual acts (78.4%), denied compensation (56.6%),… and having their movements controlled by a third party (55.8%).”
During pornographic filming, participants reported: bukkake (66.1%), where a group of men ejaculate on a woman’s face; non-fatal strangulation (50.9%); urinated or defecated on (29.1%); tortured (33.3%); subjected to ‘ass-to-mouth’ (ATM), where the individual performs oral fellatio on a man immediately after he penetrates them anally (30.2%); and contracting sexually transmitted infections (19.5%).
When asked about official health diagnoses, 79.8% reported receiving a mental health diagnosis. On average, participants had received 2.7 mental health diagnoses.” The most common were: PTSD or complex PTSD (45.8%); depressive disorders (35%); ADHD (32.5%), anxiety disorders (28.3%); personality disorders (26.7%), such as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EIPS); bipolar disorder (15%); and autism (12.5%). The study found that “83.9% met the clinically significant criteria for a PTSD diagnosis…and when including those who had previously been diagnosed with PTSD, the proportion rose to 88.3% affected. Additionally, 60.2% of participants were affected by clinically significant dissociative symptoms.” Furthermore, “polyvictimization within pornography production… was a significant predictor of clinically significant dissociative symptoms.”
“The majority of participants reported intentional self-harm behavior (70.3%), engaging in sex as self-harm (76.7%), and selling commercial sexual acts as self-harm (68.4%). Most (68.6%) had attempted suicide at least once. Eating disorders (55.8%) and substance abuse (63.6%) were also common.”
“A prominent pattern emerging from the data is the role of childhood trauma in predisposing individuals to later exploitation…This pattern is further demonstrated by the fact that 77% of participants reported being first exploited in commercial pornography as children…The study also reveals the pervasive violence and exploitation within pornography production itself.”
“When asked about the consequences of dissemination, nearly all participants (94.2%) reported receiving an unsolicited sexual image, and half (51.3%) had discovered that images of themselves had been shared without their permission. Being harassed online (56.7%), doxed (35.6%), subjected to sextortion (43.2%), and stalked (42.2%), were also common. Two-thirds of participants (66.7%) reported ongoing distress over the images remaining online indefinitely.”
Participants’ pornographic content was disseminated through OnlyFans (21.7%), Swedish equivalents to OnlyFans (24.2%), tube sites like Pornhub (30.0%), and, most commonly, “the direct sale of content to buyers through messaging apps like KIK and WhatsApp (46.7%), as well as social media apps like Snapchat (50.8%). More than half of participants (63.3%) reported that pornography of themselves had been disseminated on additional platforms, including webcamming platforms, dating apps, BDSM websites, prostitution advertisement sites, and pornography producers’ own websites.”
Citation
Donevan, M., Jonsson, L. S., & Svedin, C. G. (2025). The experience of individuals filmed for pornography production: a history of continuous polyvictimization and ongoing mental health challenges. Nordic journal of psychiatry, 79(2), 156–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2464634
