How sexting could be a sign you’re suffering from 5 mental health conditions

YOU might think sending a cheeky photo of yourself over text is just a bit of fun.

But a new study has revealed that sexting might be a sign of poor mental health.

Researchers have linked sexting to poor mental health

A team of scientists at Texas Tech University found sexting was linked to depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and compulsive sexual behaviours.

They defined sexting as sending a sexually explicit image of yourself, rather than just a raunchy chat.

The study‘s authors, led by Nicholas C. Borgogna PhD, received responses from 2,160 college students living in the US.

The team then put volunteers into four groups, those who sent sexts, received sexts, exchanged them or didn’t send them at all.

Researchers found that people who only ever sent (but didn’t receive) sexts reported more depression, anxiety, and sleep problems than the other groups.

“While sexting may not necessarily be a causal factor of negative mental health outcomes or substance use, some meaningful covariation clearly exists,” the authors wrote.

Scientists also found a possible connection between sexting, marijuana use, and compulsive sexual behaviour.

Compulsive sexual behaviour – sometimes called hypersexuality, hypersexuality disorder or sexual addiction – is defined as excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges or behaviours that is difficult to control, causes you distress, or negatively affects your health, job, relationships or other parts of your life, according to the Mayo Clinic.

A greater number of volunteers who reported sexting also compulsive sexual behaviour, in comparison to those who didn’t sext at all.

Those who sexted reciprocally or only received messages also reported more marijuana use, compared to those who didn’t sext at all.

“We conclude that sexting is only weakly associated with depression, anxiety, and sleep problems but robustly associated with compulsive sexuality and marijuana use,” the researchers wrote.

Responding to the findings, Brenda K. Wiederhold, editor in chief of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, said: “Many individuals reveal they enjoy consensual sexting and feel it empowers them and builds self-confidence.

“Nonconsensual sexts, however, can result in feelings of violation and awkwardness.”

The Texas study is not the first to link sexting to depression.

Women participating in a 2020 study of Spanish university students who sexted were more likely to suffer from depression than the female participants who had not engaged in sexting.

Women who received sexts were also more likely to report anxiety, and 1.43 times more likely to show depression than women who had not received sexts.

Not surprisingly, the study found that women were more likely to be depressed or anxious if they received explicit images without consent, as were those who were pressured into sexting.

A third study showed that teens who engaged in sexting were more likely to show signs of depression and anxiety.

Sexting has become more popular as people rely more and more on their phones.

But studies have shown that excessive smartphone use can be a detriment to mental health, particularly for young girls.

Experts have recommended that you switch your phone off at 10pm to stave off depression and loneliness.

The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 

  Read More