Further Understanding the Correlations Between Sexting and Mental Health

Considerations for Sex and Sexual Identity

Bibliographic Data

ID22004264
AuthorsNicholas C Borgogna (0000-0002-5085-3656, Texas Tech University, corresponding author), Cody L Meyer (Texas Tech University), Mikaela R Trussell (Texas Tech University), Sheila Garos (0000-0001-5572-2236, Texas Tech University), Shane W Krau (0000-0002-0404-9480, University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
Year2023
Volume26
Issue5
Pages323-331
Publication date2023-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2152-2715 • E-ISSN: 2152-2723
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1089/cyber.2022.0312
PMID36802284
OpenAlexW4321453127
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited28

We explored how sexting (no sexting, sent only, received only, reciprocal) was associated with depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and compulsive sexual behaviors across sex and sexual identity groups. We also examined how substance use predicted sexting classifications. Data came from 2,160 college students living in the United States. Results indicated that 76.6 percent of the sample had engaged in sexting (primarily reciprocal). Participants who had engaged in sexting generally evidenced higher depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and compulsive sexual behaviors. Effect sizes were largest on compulsive sexual behavior indicators. Marijuana use was the only significant substance use predictor of reciprocal and "received only" sexting compared with no sexting. Illicit substance use (e.g., cocaine) was low base rate but descriptively was associated with sexting. Compulsive sexual behavior remained a robust positive correlate of sexting compared with non-sexting participants regardless of sex and sexual identity. Most other mental health indicators became nonsignificant correlates of sexting in nonheterosexual participants and were weak positive correlates in heterosexual participants. Marijuana use remained the only significant substance use predictor of reciprocal and "received only" sexting when adjusted for sex and sexual identity. We conclude that sexting is only weakly associated with depression, anxiety, and sleep problems but robustly associated with compulsive sexuality and marijuana use. These findings do not appear to vary meaningfully on the basis of sex or sexual identity, with the exception that the effect sizes between sexting and compulsive sexual behaviors were much stronger for females compared with males (regardless of sexual identity)

Anxiety · Developmental psychology · Human sexuality · Mental health · Psychiatry · Sexual identity · Clinical Psychology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

Tools

Open DOI