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Withdrawal-like Symptoms in Problematic Pornography Use: A Scoping Review
Thiago Henrique Roza1, Lucas Tavares Noronha, Augusto Ossamu Shintani
1From the Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE) and Centro de Pesquisa Clínica (CPC), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil (THR, LTN, AOS, ICP); Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil (THR, AOS, FHPK, ICP); and Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil (THR, RM).
This review found preliminary evidence for withdrawal-like symptoms in problematic pornography use (PPU). These symptoms, including intense cravings, affect many individuals and are linked to PPU severity.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Debate exists on classifying problematic pornography use (PPU) as an addictive disorder.
- Little is known about withdrawal-like symptoms associated with PPU.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review summarizing the scientific literature on withdrawal-like symptoms in individuals with PPU.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was performed across six major databases.
- Included studies reported original data on withdrawal-like symptoms in PPU patients.
- Narrative description of extracted data and quality assessment was employed.
Main Results:
- Fourteen studies involving 31,009 participants were included.
- Intense cravings were common, often leading to relapse.
- Up to 72.2% of participants experienced other withdrawal-like symptoms (mental, sexual, physical).
- Symptom severity correlated with PPU severity and frequency of use.
- Withdrawal symptoms were more pronounced in individuals seeking treatment.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary evidence supports the existence of withdrawal-like symptoms in PPU.
- Further research with robust methodology is needed to explore symptom characteristics and prevalence.
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