Pornography consumption and psychosomatic and depressive symptoms among Swedish adolescents: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Background: The aims of this longitudinal study were to identify predictors for continued pornography consumption and to investigate pornography consumption in relation to psychosomatic and depressive symptoms among a group of adolescents in Sweden.

Methods and materials: A longitudinal study in classroom environment in 53 randomly selected senior high school classes in mid-Sweden in years 2011 and 2013. Out of 477 participating boys and 400 girls in 2011, 224 boys (47%) and 238 girls (60%) participated in 2013.

Results: Higher pornography consumption at baseline and being born outside Sweden predicted continued pornography consumption at follow-up (adjusted R² = 0.689).

Psychosomatic symptoms at follow-up were predicted by higher pornography consumption at baseline (adjusted R² = 0.254), being a girl, living with separated parents, and attending a vocational high school program. By contrast, depressive symptoms at follow-up were predicted by less pornography consumption at baseline (adjusted R² = 0.122) and being a girl.

Conclusions: Pornography consumption may, for some individuals, be associated to mental health issues. Differences between teenage boys and girls and between adolescents with diverse ethnic backgrounds imply that counseling and discussion about pornography need to be adjusted and individualized.

Keywords:

• Adolescents
• longitudinal
• pornography
• psychological health

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Dr Andreas Rosenblad and Dr Philippe Wagner for providing valuable statistical advice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health [grant no. 8006970], Uppsala-Örebro Regional Research Council [grant no. RFR 12712], and Uppsala University [grant no. 464408792]. The funding sources were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publication.

Notes on contributors

Magdalena Mattebo

Magdalena Mattebo conducts research in several projects focusing on adolescents, sexuality and health. Dr Mattebo is active at School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen Universiy and Department for Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University.

Tanja Tydén

Tanja Tydén has been conducting various and extensive research on sexuality and reproductive health since the 1980s; pornography consumption among adolescents and young adults is one area of her expertise. Professor Tydén is active at the Department for Women’s and Children’s health, Uppsala University.

Elisabet Häggström-Nordin

Elisabet Häggström-Nordin has been conducting research for approximately 20 years on sexuality and reproductive health and youth sexuality is one area of her expertise. Associate Professor Häggström-Nordin is active at School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University.

Kent W Nilsson

Kent W Nilsson is head of Centre for Clinical research, Västmanland Hospital Västerås, Uppsala University. Professor Nilsson has been conducting research for several decades, mainly in the field of psychiatry focusing on adolescents, behaviour and gene-evironment interaction.

Margareta Larsson

Margareta Larsson has been conducting research for approximately 20 years about sexuality and reproductive health and youth sexuality is one area of her expertise. Associate Professor Larsson is active at Department for Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University.