Mental health of university male students Viewing internet pornography: A qualitative study (2019)

YBOP COMMENTS: Study reports that porn use is related to psychological issues, social issues, mental illness and aggression. Excerpts below the abstract.

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Razzaq, Komal and Rafiq, Muhammad (2019). PDF of Full Study.

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS): Vol. 14 : Iss. 4 , Article 7.

Abstract

This research was carried out to explore psychosocial and mental health issues of adults viewing pornography on the internet.

Study Design: For this purpose, a qualitative research design was used.

Method: In- depth interviews were conducted with twenty five university male students to explore the psychosocial issues in cases of internet pornography. After gathering the data from participants, a software, NVivo11 Plus was used for data management and analysis. This was also used for labeling and themes and categories generation.

Results: After data analysis, main three categories generated on psychosocial issues associated with viewing internet pornography which were psychological issues, social issues and mental illness.

Conclusion: Findings of the study indicate that males viewing internet pornography can be affected with psychosocial and mental health issues.


EXCERPTS

PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES

The individuals who view pornography on internet are affected psychologically which involve themes like sexual problems, cognitive problems and have behavioural issues. The following figure indicated that the individuals after watching pornography on the internet have sexual obsessions related to the scenes or movies that they watch. These sexual obsessions led to the masturbation or they engage in sexual relationship. As the interviewees reported that: “Sexual things overcome me. Sexual thinking forces me to engage with girls, I want to be physical with them. I masturbated a lot and it’s necessary for me to do because without it I can’t satisfy myself etc.” The individuals also didn’t concentrate on their daily task and not able to focus. Interviewees narrated that: “I felt weird like, when am feeling sexual need and it’s not going to be full filled, I knew nothing, my mind turn blank. I can’t focus on anything” etc. Apart from this, viewing internet pornography also led to the low confidence and the low self-determination. Different themes generated under the category of psychological issues are demonstrated in the figure 3.

SOCIAL ISSUES

From the responses, it has been depicted that they also suffered socially due to viewing internet pornography. The following figure 4 indicated that the individuals who watch pornography have inter and intra personal issues. Due to viewing pornography, they didn’t interact with the surrounding and spent their time alone. These individuals have no social interaction but after viewing they preferred to remain avoidant from the others. As the interviewees narrated that: “After watching pornography, I isolate and become sexually active”. “Don’t want to interact with others nor want to enjoy with friends”. “Don’t want to interact with people, felt inferior among others”. “Don’t want to take interest in anything nor wanted to meet with others etc.”

MENTAL ILLNESSES

This involves two themes related to the behavioral and emotional issues associated with internet pornography. This category differs from the psychological on the basis of emotional issues that is linked with mental health and individual faced in the form of guilt, frustration, sad etc. The emotional problems associated with the “guilt”, frustration, helplessness and hopelessness. The individuals repent on watching and became depress. The respondents narrated that: “Watching pornography turns into frustration like, I am feeling hungry and in need of food, after watching pornography I become

frustrated, aggressive, repent and become guilty”. “After this I felt guilt, sad and repent on watching”. “I am frustrated after watching pornography turned into guilt as I did sin and then I felt guilt and repent on watching etc.” On the other hand, the behavioural problems involve their aggressive behaviour, lose their temper easily and became muted after watching. The viewing pornography led them muted that they remain silent and didn’t interact. For example, the interviews described that “By watching I become aggressive and furious, I became lazy and frustrated on small things.” “While watching porn my emotions used to fire. I turn to furious”. “It makes me moody as well that I remain quiet and become muted.” “I became aggressive etc.”