Signs and symptoms of cybersex addiction in older adults

Abstract

The use of the Internet for sexual purposes is an increasingly widespread practice at any stage of life. Although in most cases, consumption is done recreationally, sometimes it may become compulsive, uncontrolled, and associated with functional impairment in various areas (addiction to cybersex). Knowing symptoms that characterize this clinical condition is a priority; however, we have poor knowledge about its expression in older adults. Thus, the aim of this work was double: 1) to analyze the prevalence of older adults at risk of developing or showing a pathological profile of cybersex use and 2) to develop a profile of signs and symptoms that characterize it in this population. 538 participants (77% men) over 60 years of age (M = 65.3) completed a series of online sexual behavior scales. 73.2% said they used the Internet with sexual aim. Among them, 80.4% did it recreationally whereas a 20% showed a risk consumption. Among the main symptoms, the most prevalent were the perception of interference 50% of participants), spending 5 hours a week on the Internet for sexual purposes (50%), recognize that they may be doing it excessively (51%) or presence of symptoms of withdrawal (anxiety, irritability, depression, etc.) (24%). This work highlights the relevance of visualizing online risky sexual activity in a silent group and usually outside any intervention for the promotion of online sexual health.

Keywords

• adicción al cibersexo
• prevalencia
• signos y síntomas
• adultos mayores