Stress Susceptibility, Affective Responses toward Acute Stressors and Emotion Regulation Strategies in the Context of Problematic Pornography Use

The problematic use of pornography (PPU) is one phenotype of compulsive sexual behavior disorder. Stress has been identified as central factor involved in dysregulated behaviors, acting both as cause and consequence. Overall, 99 heterosexual males participated in an experimental study. Experience of early childhood trauma, chronic stress, acute responses toward a stressor, emotion regulation strategies, and coping were associated with symptoms of PPU. Alterations within neural stress circuits due to childhood trauma and chronic stress may interact with neural circuits of reward and executive control. Coping with acute, chronic and past stressors should be an essential component in treatment approaches.