Background

Some conceptualizations of hypersexuality posit boredom as a possible trigger of hypersexual behavior.

Aim

This work aims to review published articles addressing the link between boredom and hypersexuality to investigate if this relationship can yet be established based on current empirical data.

Methods

This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies, published until September 2019, were retrieved from EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. A systematic search was conducted using an exhaustive list of key terms combining “boredom” with “hypersexuality,” “sexual impulsivity,” “sexual compulsivity,” and “sexual addiction.” Only articles presenting empirical results concerning the relationship between boredom and hypersexuality were considered.

Results

From the initial poll of 76 articles, only 19 articles were included in our final selection. Of the total studies, 16 were quantitative studies and 3 were qualitative studies. 4 studies were validation studies of hypersexuality-related measures, 11 studies concerned online sexual activity, and 3 reported sexual boredom. 7 studies with men used non-heterosexual samples. 5 studies used samples with both women and men, and 1 study used a sample of women only. Most studies indicate a positive association between boredom and hypersexuality, although 4 did not.

Implications

Further studies with diversified samples are still indispensable, as female samples are not portrayed and research is much focused on online sexual activity. Future research should explore the relationship between boredom and hypersexuality within specific behavioral specifiers including masturbation, pornography use, sexual behavior with consenting adults, cybersex, telephone sex, and strip clubs.

Strengths and limitations

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review looking at the possible link between boredom and hypersexuality. Investigation on the topic is scarce, and several of the studies included in this review correspond to anecdotal evidences of the phenomenon, as only few studies used appropriate measures of boredom.

Conclusion

Although current literature identifies a link between boredom and hypersexuality, further substantive research is still much needed to clarify the associations between the 2 constructs.

de Oliveira L, Carvalho J. The Link Between Boredom and Hypersexuality: A Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2020;17:994–1004.