Abstract
Objectives
To analyze the association between difficulties in emotion regulation and problematic pornography use (PPU) and test the mediating effect of loneliness.
Methods
All 339 participants (M = 28.53 years, SD = 10.32) completed online self-report scales assessing difficulties in emotion regulation, PPU, and loneliness.
Results
Difficulties in emotion regulation are positively correlated with PPU. Loneliness partially mediates the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and PPU. Gender and intimate relationship status had moderating effects on the tested mediation model.
Conclusions
Greater difficulties in emotion regulation have a significant indirect effect on PPU through loneliness.
Ethical approval
This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the Egas Moniz School of Health and Science–Portugal (No. 768-CEEM).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).