Mental Health
Indian adults problematic pornography use: Psychological correlates and predictors.
Open Access: No.
Abstract
Pornography use is a ubiquitous phenomenon, and understanding the complex dynamic processes that lead to problematic behavior becomes crucial for developing effective intervention strategies. This study aims to explore the psychological associations and predictors of Problematic Pornography Use in an adult Indian population. The study sample comprised 112 participants who completed the survey, met the inclusion criteria of 18 years or older, were Indian, and experienced difficulty with PPU. An online cross-sectional survey research design was utilized in the study. Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales, Pornography Craving Questionnaire, Pornography Use Motives Scale, and demographic variables, such as age of first exposure to porn, were employed to identify associates and predictors of problematic pornography use. The findings suggest that PPU is positively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress and porn craving and negatively correlated with the age of first pornography exposure. The stress reduction motive and anxiety were found to be predictors of problematic pornography use. This study emphasize the crucial role of psychological distress, cravings, and underlying motives in unravelling the problematic pornography use in the Indian adult population.
Relevance
“The correlational analysis revealed significant positive associations between PPU [problematic pornography use] and anxiety, depression, stress, and pornography craving, suggesting individuals with higher levels of psychological distress were more likely to engage in problematic pornography use (PPU).
Citation
Rajashekar, M., Sharma, M. K., & Amudhan, S. (2025). Indian adults problematic pornography use: psychological correlates and predictors. Geopsychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geopsy.2025.100026
