Sexual addiction 25 years on: A systematic and methodological review of empirical literature and an agenda for future research
- PMID:33038740
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101925
Sexual addiction 25 years on: A systematic and methodological review of empirical literature and an agenda for future research
Abstract
In 1998, Gold and Heffner authored a landmark review in Clinical Psychology Review on the topic of sexual addiction that concluded that sexual addiction, though increasingly popular in mental health settings, was largely based on speculation, with virtually no empirical basis. In the more than two decades since that review, empirical research around compulsive sexual behaviors (which subsumes prior research about sexual addiction) has flourished, ultimately culminating in the inclusion of a novel diagnosis of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder in the eleventh edition of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases. The present work details a systematic review of empirical research published between January 1st, 1995 and August 1st, 2020 related to compulsive sexual behaviors, with a specific focus on evaluating the methodologies of that literature. This review yielded 371 papers detailing 415 individual studies. In general, the present review finds that, although research related to compulsive sexual behaviors has proliferated, much of this work is characterized by simplistic methodological designs, a lack of theoretical integration, and an absence of quality measurement. Moreover, the present review finds a virtual absence of high-quality treatment-related research published within this time frame. Implications of these findings for both clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Keywords: Behavioral addiction; Compulsive sexual behavior disorder; Hypersexuality; Pornography addiction; Sexual addiction.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
- Assessing compulsive sexual behavior disorder: The development and international validation of the compulsive sexual behavior disorder-diagnostic inventory (CSBD-DI).Grubbs JB, Reid RC, Bőthe B, Demetrovics Z, Coleman E, Gleason N, Miner MH, Fuss J, Klein V, Lewczuk K, Gola M, Fernandez DP, Fernandez EF, Carnes S, Lew-Starowicz M, Kingston D, Kraus SW.Grubbs JB, et al.J Behav Addict. 2023 Mar 13;12(1):242-260. doi: 10.1556/2006.2023.00005. Print 2023 Mar 30.J Behav Addict. 2023.PMID:36913189Free PMC article.
- Contradicting classification, nomenclature, and diagnostic criteria of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) and future directions •Bőthe B, Koós M, Demetrovics Z.Bőthe B, et al.J Behav Addict. 2022 Jul 13;11(2):204-209. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00030. Print 2022 Jul 13.J Behav Addict. 2022.PMID:35895454Free PMC article.
- Pharmacotherapy of Sexual Addiction.Malandain L, Blanc JV, Ferreri F, Thibaut F.Malandain L, et al.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2020 May 7;22(6):30. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01153-4.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2020.PMID:32377953Review.
- Legal and Policy Considerations in Lebanon Related to Proposals for Paraphilic Disorders in World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases Manual, 11th Version.Makhlouf Y, Kerbage H, Khauli N, Ramadan Z, Khoury B.Makhlouf Y, et al.J Sex Med. 2020 Mar;17(3):491-504. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.12.001. Epub 2020 Jan 15.J Sex Med. 2020.PMID:31953030
- Assessment and treatment of compulsive sexual behavior disorder: a sexual medicine perspective.Briken P, Bőthe B, Carvalho J, Coleman E, Giraldi A, Kraus SW, Lew-Starowicz M, Pfaus JG.Briken P, et al.Sex Med Rev. 2024 Jun 26;12(3):355-370. doi: 10.1093/sxmrev/qeae014.Sex Med Rev. 2024.PMID:38529667Free PMC article.Review.
Cited by
- Mental health professionals' use of the ICD-11 classification of impulse control disorders and behavioral addictions: An international field study.Fuss J, Keeley JW, Stein DJ, Rebello TJ, García JÁ, Briken P, Robles R, Matsumoto C, Abé C, Billieux J, Grant JE, Kraus SW, Lochner C, Potenza MN, Reed GM.Fuss J, et al.J Behav Addict. 2024 Jan 12;13(1):276-292. doi: 10.1556/2006.2023.00083. Print 2024 Mar 26.J Behav Addict. 2024.PMID:38217688Free PMC article.
- Problematic Pornography Use in Japan: A Preliminary Study Among University Students.Okabe Y, Takahashi F, Ito D.Okabe Y, et al.Front Psychol. 2021 Apr 16;12:638354. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.638354. eCollection 2021.Front Psychol. 2021.PMID:33935889Free PMC article.
- Gender differences in the association of psychological distress and sexual compulsivity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Kürbitz LI, Wiessner C, Schoon W, Briken P, Schöttle D, Schröder J.Kürbitz LI, et al.J Behav Addict. 2022 Jun 30;11(2):533-543. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00046. Print 2022 Jul 13.J Behav Addict. 2022.PMID:35895475Free PMC article.
- Treatments and interventions for compulsive sexual behavior disorder with a focus on problematic pornography use: A preregistered systematic review.Antons S, Engel J, Briken P, Krüger THC, Brand M, Stark R.Antons S, et al.J Behav Addict. 2022 Sep 9;11(3):643-666. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00061. Print 2022 Sep 26.J Behav Addict. 2022.PMID:36083776Free PMC article.Review.
- Males' Lived Experience with Self-Perceived Pornography Addiction: A Qualitative Study of Problematic Porn Use.Hanseder S, Dantas JAR.Hanseder S, et al.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 13;20(2):1497. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021497.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023.PMID:36674250Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Related information
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources