From Pornography to Somatic Symptoms. A Moderated Mediation Model Involving Moral Disapproval of Pornography and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the association between problematic pornography consumption (PPC) and somatic symptoms, and to investigate whether difficulties in emotion regulation and moral disapproval of pornography play a role in this relationship. Method: A sample of 321 individuals, aged between 18 and 64 years (M = 24.85, SD = 8.93), completed self-report measures assessing problematic pornography consumption, difficulties in emotion regulation, somatic symptoms, frequency of pornography use, and moral disapproval of pornography. Results: PPC was positively associated with somatic symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation. Difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the association between PPC and somatic symptoms only at high levels of moral disapproval, indicating a moderated mediation effect. No significant indirect effect was observed at low or average levels of moral disapproval. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of integrating moral, emotional, and somatic dimensions when conceptualizing problematic pornography consumption. The role of moral disapproval suggests that individuals experiencing moral conflict may be particularly vulnerable to emotion regulation difficulties and somatic manifestations linked to pornography use, offering useful implications for future theory and clinical practice.