Hello Reader,

Are you concerned about your child's mental health as they go back to school?

I know I am!
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I may get a little personal here, so please forgive me. This is hard to write about.
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September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Sadly, my family has suffered the loss of dear relatives who have taken their own lives. In one case, addiction was the driving force.

That’s why it’s so important to shine the light on research that shows a correlation between pornography addiction or problematic pornography use (PPU) and higher rates of suicide ideation, even among women.

There’s good news and bad news!

First, the bad news

Let me highlight just a few recent studies:

• An Italian study published in 2024 found that problematic pornography use (PPU) correlates with increased anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, and suicidal ideation, and decreased life satisfaction. Men showed higher PPU and loneliness, while women had higher stress, anxiety, and lower rates of life satisfaction. Notably, PPU significantly correlated with suicidal ideation and suicide plans in women, even with lower PPU scores.
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• A 2016 Korean study of students, ages 12-18 found that frequent use of internet porn increased reported sadness/hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts within the past 12 months. This study controlled for age, sex and family environment.

Pornography and depression

We know that depression and other mental health issues often foreshadow suicide. Last fall I wrote Does Porn Harm Kids’ Mental Health? The Latest Research Parents Need to Know.

Parents will find a slew of studies that show heavy use of pornography is correlated with increased loneliness and other painful mental health conditions. Here are just a few:

• ​A survey of 1,539 German-speaking pornography users (ages 18-76) found that individuals with PPU experienced significantly worse psychological functioning, including issues like depression, anxiety, hostility, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors, to a degree that was considered "severe psychological distress" compared to the general population.
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• ​An Australian study found that young people (ages 15-29) who started watching porn at a younger age were more likely to experience mental health problems. The study also showed that those with recent mental health issues were more often moderate to frequent porn users.

The GOOD news–quitting can lead to big improvements!

​A review of 104 online journals of men seeking support for quitting porn use found that abstaining from problematic porn improved their mental and emotional states, including better daily functioning, mood, energy, mental clarity, focus, motivation, and productivity. One young man wrote, “No porn, no masturbation, and I had more energy, more mental clarity, more happiness, less tiredness.”

Let’s stay informed about the real harms of pornography. By guiding our kids to reject porn, we can help them build happier lives with less risk of suffering from suicidal thoughts and painful mental health issues.

Kindly,

Kristen
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​P.S. Do you know someone who has suffered poor mental health due to porn use? You are welcome to hit Reply and share your story.

P.P.S. Kids can better defend themselves from the harms of pornography and addictions of all kinds when their emotional needs are met. Grab 4 easy tools to encourage a growth mindset and develop a personal plan of emotional resilience for each child.

Help your kids learn to reject porn! Our Good Pictures Bad Pictures books can give you the words, stories, and confidence to begin.