Online Porn Addiction Is Increasing in the UK

Mental health, and the reasons someone might seek treatment for their own mental well-being, can evolve over time. Something that was not a factor a decade ago might be the cause of debilitating anxiety in 2026 — and surveys of mental health professionals can be key in understanding what is (and is not) affecting people’s mental health right now. And apparently, in the U.K., one of the things that’s increasing in scope is addiction to online pornography.

“I’ve noticed a growing number of clients seeking support for alcohol, drug, and pornography use,” said therapist Andrew Harvey as part of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s annual Mindometer survey. “These often become coping mechanisms for people facing difficulties such as mental health struggles, financial stress, and other life pressures.”

Harvey’s clients are not the only ones experiencing this issue. In reporting on the BACP’s annual survey, The Guardian‘s Robyn Vinter noted that 53% of the professionals surveyed believed that the country needed what Vinter described as “a national strategy on pornography.”

In comments made to The Guardian, Dr. Paula Hall emphasized the importance of better understanding this form of addiction. “We desperately need to really understand and evaluate and assess what the economic costs are to society of porn in terms of addiction, in terms of men’s mental health,” Dr. Hall said.

Big Surprise: Mormon University BYU Says All Porn Is Bad for You

They also claim the number one key to a successful marriage is obedience

Some experts are unsure if addiction to online porn is a verifiable condition. In 2020, a CNET article bore the headline, “Porn addiction is ruining lives, but scientists aren’t convinced it’s real.” More recently, David J. Ley Ph.D. published an article in Psychology Today in which he argued that a group of scientists “put a nail in the coffin of porn addiction.” Based on the BACP’s findings, a number of professionals in the U.K. would disagree.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…