Shane W. Kraus (Psychology), associate professor and director of the Behavioral Addictions Lab at UNLV, recently co-authored three studies published in leading scientific journals examining the psychological, clinical, and neurobiological factors associated with problematic pornography use and compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD).
The first study, published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, examined the relationship between moral beliefs and perceived problematic pornography use using longitudinal data collected over two years from a large U.S. sample. Findings showed that individuals who morally disapproved of pornography reported greater feelings of problematic use when their pornography consumption increased above their typical levels. The results highlight the importance of distinguishing distress related to moral conflict from difficulties controlling sexual behavior when assessing and treating CSBD.
The second study, published in Depression and Anxiety, analyzed data from 82,243 adults across 42 countries to investigate gender differences in the relationship between problematic pornography use and mental health. Researchers found that problematic pornography use was associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety, with the strongest associations observed among men. The findings underscore the importance of considering gender differences when developing mental health interventions.
The third study, published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate brain activity among 29 treatment-seeking women with CSBD and 20 women without the disorder. In one of the first neuroimaging investigations of CSBD in women, researchers identified differences in how the brain processes sexual and monetary rewards. Greater CSBD symptom severity was also associated with increased activity in brain regions involved in reward processing. These findings address an important gap in the scientific literature, which has historically focused on men, and highlight the need to better understand how CSBD develops and presents in women.
Together, these publications contribute to a growing international body of research aimed at improving the understanding, assessment, and treatment of problematic pornography use and compulsive sexual behavior disorder.
