Mental Health
Prospective Association of Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety with Pornography Viewing Frequency Among Young Adults.
Open Access: No.
Abstract
Young adulthood is a critical development period when mental health problems such as anxiety and depression become more prevalent. Likewise, there is evidence to suggest that depression and anxiety may lead to increased pornography usage. We examined the association of depression and anxiety symptoms with pornography viewing frequency among a prospective cohort of young adults (n = 1864) from California. Multinomial logistic regression models estimated the association of depression symptoms only, anxiety symptoms only, and comorbid depression and anxiety with pornography viewing frequency (never, < 3 times/month, one to several times/week, one to several times/day) at a 6-month follow-up. Models adjusted for gender, sexual orientation, sexual satisfaction, and adverse childhood experiences. Participants with comorbid depression and anxiety (vs. no depression or anxiety symptoms) had 2.72 (95% CI: 1.66-4.46) times the odds of frequent pornography viewing (one to several times/day) compared to never watching pornography. There was an association of depression symptoms only with frequent pornography viewing but it did not reach statistical significance (OR: 1.95, 95% CI: 0.78-4.89). Anxiety symptoms alone (vs. no depression and anxiety symptoms) were not associated with pornography viewing at any frequency in the full sample. However, in gender-stratified models, anxiety symptoms alone were associated with pornography viewing among women (OR: 1.44. 95% CI: 1.00-2.07), but not men (1.12, 95% CI: 0.65-1.96). Findings suggest comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms are associated with frequent pornography viewing among young adults, and anxiety symptoms alone are associated with pornography viewing among women, but not men.
Relevance
“Our study found that among a diverse sample of young adults from Southern California, those with comorbid symptoms of both depression and anxiety and those with depression symptoms alone were more likely to report frequent pornography viewing (once or more per day) compared to those without depression or anxiety symptoms.”
“Our findings add to the body of literature demonstrating an association between mental health symptoms and increased pornography consumption.”
“Mental health problems have increased among young adults over the past decade and are currently at an all-time high…individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms and comorbid depressive and anxious symptoms are more likely to consume pornographic content more frequently. Findings reinforce that pornography viewing may serve as a maladaptive coping mechanism for depressive symptoms by providing temporary relief from emotional distress through stimulation and novelty-seeking. It is imperative for educators, parents, and mental health professionals to be aware of the increased likelihood of pornography consumption by depressed young adults. Educational programs could be designed to inform young people about the potentially harmful effects of problematic pornography use, while mental health professionals could offer counseling on pornography media literacy skills and managing depression and negative emotions with healthy coping mechanisms.”
Citation
Singareddy, C., Shrestha, S., Zheng, A., Harlow, B. L., Barrington-Trimis, J. L., & Harlow, A. F. (2025). Prospective Association of Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety with Pornography Viewing Frequency Among Young Adults. Archives of sexual behavior, 54(2), 749–759. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-03024-y
