Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Problematic Pornography Use: The Mediating Role of Loneliness

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.

Keywords:

• Difficulties in emotion regulation
• problematic pornography use
• loneliness
• compulsive sexual behavior

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).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the FCT–Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the project UIDB/04585/2020.