Smartphone Apps for Problematic Pornography Use: A Review of Content and Quality

Problematic pornography use can lead to negative psychosocial consequences such as unrealistic sexual expectations, relationship difficulties, and psychological distress. While efficacious psychosocial treatments exist, there remain barriers to accessing treatment, some of which may be circumvented using mobile health phone applications (mHealth apps). The purpose of this review was to characterize the features and quality of publicly available mHealth apps designed to help individuals with problematic pornography use.

Twenty-three iPhone apps associated with problematic pornography use were identified and characterized using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). The most common features included tracking days abstinent, goal setting, and psychoeducation regarding problematic pornography use. Content on mindfulness/meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or tips/strategies for managing problematic pornography use was found in less than half of the apps, even though apps that incorporated such content had higher scores on the MARS Engagement subscale than apps that did not incorporate such content. Exploratory studies indicated that "star" ratings of the apps on the App Store were not significantly correlated with app quality or the absence/presence of specific features.

Our results suggest that publicly available mHealth apps for problematic pornography use that feature mindfulness/meditation, cognitive-behavioral skills or strategies may be engaging and of high quality. However, these apps comprise the minority of publicly available apps, and their quality may not be apparent based on "star" ratings in app stores. This review may inform the development and optimization of mHealth apps to support people with problematic pornography use.