Porn Addiction and Depression

Some studies link porn use with depressive symptoms, but the research doesn’t prove that porn causes depression. The link may run both ways: depression can come before problematic porn use, and use that feels excessive can come before more depression.

This article covers what the research shows, why cause and effect is still unclear, and how to get help for mood problems. For the broader question, read is porn bad for your mental health?. For treatment choices, see porn addiction treatment.

Is Porn Use Linked to Depression?

The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) says it hasn’t found sufficient empirical evidence to classify sex addiction or porn addiction as a mental health disorder (AASECT). That’s a statement about diagnosis, not a finding that porn and depression are unrelated. Several studies have found associations between porn use and depressive symptoms, and researchers are still working out what those associations mean.

What Do the Studies Show?

A Survey of Adults

In a 2018 survey of 757 adults (507 women and 250 men), Borgogna and colleagues looked at what predicted problematic porn viewing. Scrupulosity, a tendency toward excessive moral worry, predicted more problematic viewing for both women and men. Depression predicted more problematic use mainly among people who watched porn to escape negative feelings (Borgogna et al., 2018). For how this looks in women, see porn addiction in women.

A Six-Month Study

In a six-month study of adults, people who saw their own porn use as excessive at three months reported more depression at six months, in both men and women. In men, more depression at the start of the study was followed by more self-perceived problematic use (Maddock et al., 2019).

A Study of University Students

In a 2021 study of 150 university students in Japan, those who had trouble controlling their porn use had higher depression and anxiety scores than other users. The study was small and cross-sectional, meaning it measured everything at one point in time, so it can’t show cause and effect (Okabe et al., 2021).

Frequency Alone Isn’t the Answer

How often someone watches porn isn’t a reliable sign of a problem. In a large study across three nonclinical samples, most people who watched often were not problematic users. The problematic high-frequency group did score higher on depressive symptoms (Bőthe et al., 2020).

Which Comes First, Depression or Porn Use?

Causality is the hard part. Some evidence points to depression coming first. In the six-month study, depression at the start preceded self-perceived problematic use in men (Maddock et al., 2019). The 2018 survey also linked depression to problematic use among people who watched porn to escape negative feelings, though it measured everything at one time (Borgogna et al., 2018). For some people, that can turn into a loop: they feel low, use porn to cope and then feel worse about the use.

The opposite direction also shows up. People who saw their porn use as excessive at three months reported more depression at six months, in both sexes (Maddock et al., 2019). A 2016 systematic review also found that increased feelings of isolation are among the reported effects of problematic porn use (Duffy et al., 2016).

Many studies are snapshots, so researchers can’t yet say which comes first for most people. Both directions may be true for different people.

What Else Shapes the Link?

Beliefs and personality may matter. In the 2018 survey, scrupulosity predicted more problematic viewing (Borgogna et al., 2018). In the six-month study, religiousness did not track with how problematic people rated their own use, although religious men viewed more porn six months later (Maddock et al., 2019). Your beliefs, your reasons for watching and how you cope with stress are all worth paying attention to. Feeling at odds with your own beliefs is also tied to anxiety, as our guide on why porn and anxiety can feed each other explains.

Is Porn Addiction a Real Condition?

Porn addiction is not a formally recognized disorder, and researchers define it in different ways (Duffy et al., 2016). AASECT says there isn’t sufficient evidence to classify it as a mental health disorder (AASECT). The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 lists compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (ICD-11 code 6C72) among impulse control disorders, not addictions, and whether it’s a behavioral addiction is still debated (Kraus et al., 2018). Here are the signs clinicians look for.

Where Can You Get Help?

If you’re concerned about your porn use or feel low most days, talk with a doctor or a licensed therapist. A doctor can check for depression and other conditions, and a therapist can help you build new habits and handle urges. The National Institute of Mental Health lists medications and talk therapy among the existing treatments for depression (NIMH). A clinician can help you choose between them. For a practical starting plan, see how to stop porn addiction with CBT.

If your mood or sex drive dropped after you quit porn, read our guide to the porn flatline, which explains how to tell it apart from depression.

If You Feel Hopeless

If you feel hopeless, can’t keep yourself safe, or are thinking about suicide, get help right away. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night. Outside the US, call your local emergency number.

Conclusion

The relationship between porn use and depression is complex and still not fully understood. Some studies link them. In one six-month study, seeing your own porn use as excessive came before more depressive symptoms, while other evidence points the other way. We lack conclusive evidence of a direct causal link in either direction. Whether you’re struggling with porn use, depression or both, you deserve support, and asking for help is a good first step.

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Sources

• AASECT. AASECT position on sex addiction. https://www.aasect.org/node/6341
• Borgogna, N. C., Duncan, J., & McDermott, R. C. (2018). Is scrupulosity behind the relationship between problematic pornography viewing and depression, anxiety, and stress? Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 25(4), 293–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720162.2019.1567410
• Bőthe, B., Tóth-Király, I., Potenza, M. N., Orosz, G., & Demetrovics, Z. (2020). High-frequency pornography use may not always be problematic. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 17(4), 793–811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.01.007
• Duffy, A., Dawson, D. L., & das Nair, R. (2016). Pornography addiction in adults: A systematic review of definitions and reported impact. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(5), 760–777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.03.002
• Kraus, S. W., Krueger, R. B., Briken, P., First, M. B., Stein, D. J., Kaplan, M. S., Voon, V., Abdo, C. H. N., Grant, J. E., Atalla, E., & Reed, G. M. (2018). Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder in the ICD-11. World Psychiatry, 17(1), 109–110. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20499
• Maddock, M. E., Steele, K., Esplin, C. R., Hatch, S. G., & Braithwaite, S. R. (2019). What is the relationship among religiosity, self-perceived problematic pornography use, and depression over time? Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 26(3–4), 211–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720162.2019.1645061
• National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression
• Okabe, Y., Takahashi, F., & Ito, D. (2021). Problematic pornography use in Japan: A preliminary study among university students. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 638354. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.638354
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/