The relationship between online sexual compulsivity and shame, guilt, internalized homonegativity, depression, and perceived social support in men who have sex with men

Research has shown that online sexual activities are a significant part of Internet usage for many people and, especially, for men who have sex with men (Liau, Millett, & Marks, 2006; McFarlane, Bull, & Rietmeijer, 2000; Toomey & Rothenberg, 2000). For some, the Internet is a valuable tool to explore sexual differences, gain sexual knowledge, connect with others, and practice same-sex intimacy in a safe online environment (Dew & Chaney, 2004). However, for 1% of Internet users, online sexual activities can become problematic, even leading to severe difficulty with everyday functioning (Cooper, Delmonico, & Burg, 2000).;There are numerous reasons why men who have sex with men (MSM) are drawn to the Internet for sexual pursuits, few studies have looked at specific predictors of online sexual compulsivity in this population. With a sample of 126 MSM who use the Internet for sexual purposes, this study used an online survey to examine how shame, survivor guilt, depression, perceived social support, and internalized homonegativity predicted levels of sexual compulsivity, as measured by the Compulsive Sexual Behavioral Inventory (Coleman, Miner, Ohlerking, & Raymond, 2001), and the length of time spent online engaged in sexual activities (Internet sex hours). The study found that perceived social support was significantly and negatively correlated with both sexual compulsivity and Internet sex hours. Lack of perceived social support was seen as a significant predictor of online sexual compulsivity in this sample. Variables that were significantly related to sexual compulsivity but not to Internet sex hours included survivor guilt, depression, and internalized homonegativity. Of these, depression and internalized homonegativity made the most significant contributions to sexual compulsivity. Moreover, lower socio-economic status and greater frequency of drug use were also significant predictors of sexual compulsivity in this population but neither variable predicted Internet sex hours. The study results highlight the need for clinicians to pay careful attention to the level of perceived social support in MSM who use the Internet as a medium for sexual expression, especially in urban areas where larger gay populations may conceal a lack of social connectedness.