Did Compulsive Sexual Behavior get Worse During COVID?
The phones rang off the hook during lock downs and our caseloads for Compulsive Sexual Behavior increased. Was it real or did it just feel super busy? Was everyone looking at pornography then?
Those of us who work in the field treating Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) will anecdotally tell you that during COVID and its associated lock down, PSB was on the rise.
Science is now, four years after the lock downs began, backing up our anecdotal claims.
Do you believe your sexual behaviors are compulsive or harmful to you or others? Then you should take the CSBD-19 free, validated self-assessment tool.
The Study on Compulsive Sexual Behavior During COVID Lock Downs
In a study published last year, Gleason and colleagues surveyed over 1000 people. They asked if the respondents pornography use and masturbation changed due to COVID.
Additionally, they also assessed for Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) to see if that had any affect on masturbation and pornography use.
Takeaways From the Study on Compulsive Sexual Behavior
First, myself and my fellow therapists, were not making things up!
Among this sample, masturbation frequency and pornography use increased during the COVID 19 lockdown. Those who screened positive for CSBD had a larger increase in masturbation frequency.
Similarly, those who screened positive for CSBD had a larger increase in pornography use than those who did not screen positive for CSBD.
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But, why?
As this was not an experimental study, no assertions regarding the cause of the increase can be made. However, we can hypothesize.
For example, many people with CSBD use some sort of sexual behavior as a coping mechanism for negative affect (boredom, loneliness, depression, anxiety, etc.) or stress. As this time in life was incredibly stressful for most people, this increase in pornography use and masturbation could have been a means for people to manage those feelings.
While masturbation and pornography use increased for most people in this survey, it seems as though those with CSBD were most influenced by COVID.
Reference: Gleason, N., Conro, K., Banik, S., & Coleman, E. (2023). Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Changes in Solitary Sexual Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 52, 2287-2293.
Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.
Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.
Are you looking for more reputable data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.
