Sexes (Jun 2022)

Hypersexual Behavior and Depression Symptoms among Dating App Users

  • Giacomo Ciocca,
  • Lilybeth Fontanesi,
  • Antonella Robilotta,
  • Erika Limoncin,
  • Filippo Maria Nimbi,
  • Daniele Mollaioli,
  • Andrea Sansone,
  • Elena Colonnello,
  • Chiara Simonelli,
  • Giorgio Di Lorenzo,
  • Emmanuele A. Jannini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes3020023
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 2
pp. 298 – 307

Abstract

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The use of Dating Applications (DAs) is widespread, and in some cases could be associated with psychosexological issues. Hence, we decided to investigate hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms among DA users and non-users. We recruited a snowball convenience sample of 1000 subjects through an online platform in 2020 for a cross-sectional study. One hundred and nineteen (11.9%) were classified as DA users and 881 as non-users. All subjects completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI), to assess hypersexuality, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depression symptoms. We primarily found higher levels of hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms in DA users compared to non-users. In particular, HBI Total (users = 42.27 ± 16.37 vs. non-users = 31.85 ± 12.06; p p p p p < 0.0001). On the whole, we found that hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms strongly characterize DAs users; this evidence could represent an important associated factor in DA use for sexual purposes.

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