This study aims to examine how the frequency of pornography use mediates between sexual satisfaction and psychological distress related to the use of pornography, moderated by moral incongruence. 943 individuals from Romania, aged 18-65 (M = 27.95; SD = 9.29), 70.1% of whom were women, all in romantic relationships. The frequency of pornography use mediated the link between sexual satisfaction and psychological distress, with moral incongruence moderating this relationship. Moral incongruence plays a crucial role in understanding the dynamics between sexual satisfaction, pornography use, and psychological distress related to the use of pornography.

To develop the Pornography Problems Due to Moral Incongruence model by exploring social conservatism and family values regarding the use of pornography (FVUP). 501 Romanian individuals, aged 18-76 (M = 22.77, SD = 9.29), 71.9% females. Social conservatism and FVUP provide a significant additional explanatory power, explaining 22.9% of the variance in the initial model. Moreover, social conservatism mediated the relationship between FVUP and moral disapproval of pornography, while religiosity moderated the relationships between FVUP and moral disapproval of pornography and between FVUP and social conservatism. Social conservatism and FVUP significantly influence moral disapproval of pornography.

The objectives of the current study were to investigate the potential mediating role of alcohol consumption motives in the relationships between psychological distress and problematic alcohol consumption, and emotional dysregulation and problematic alcohol consumption. This study included 292 participants from Romania, with 82.5% female, ranging in age from 19 to 62 years (M = 28.71; SD = 9.34). The participants completed instruments assessing psychological distress, emotional dysregulation, drinking motives, problematic alcohol consumption, and socio-demographic data. Our findings indicate that psychological distress and emotional dysregulation predict problematic alcohol consumption. Additionally, social, conformity, and coping motives mediated the relationships between psychological distress and problematic alcohol consumption, as well as between emotional dysregulation and problematic alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, the enhancement motive did not mediate the aforementioned relationships. This may be attributed to its association with seeking positive experiences rather than managing negative emotions, making it less relevant for individuals experiencing psychological distress in the Romanian cultural context, where alcohol is often used for social engagement or conformity rather than enhancement. Our study contributes to advancing the knowledge from the literature regarding how people engage in problematic alcohol consumption, while highlighting the importance of consumption motives. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This study aims to examine how positive and negative metacognitions about sex (MSS) mediate the relationship between psychological distress and problematic consumption of pornography. 821 individuals from Romania, aged 18–70 (M = 27.21; SD = 8.74), 64.4% of whom were women. Both positive and negative MSS mediated the link between psychological distress and problematic consumption of pornography. MSS plays a crucial role in understanding the dynamics between psychological distress and problematic consumption of pornography. The study contributes to filling a gap in the literature by exploring MSS in this context. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This study investigates factors influencing the psychological well-being of gay and lesbian individuals in Romania. Participants (N = 172) included 61.6% gay and 38.4% lesbians, currently in relationships, aged between 18 and 62 years (M = 28.28; SD = 9.53). Surveys assessed relationship satisfaction, depression, and problematic pornography use. Significant associations were found among these variables, with gender differences observed. We tested a regression model for problematic pornography use, where depression provided additional explanatory power to the initial model. Age, gender, and depression accounted for 18% of the variance in problematic pornography use. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Background: The rising demand for psychotherapy exceeds therapist availability, often due to financial or physical proximity constraints. Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly through chatbots, presents a promising solution, having shown efficacy in enhancing mental health.Aims: This study investigated the psychotherapeutic relationship in the context of using chatbots for psychotherapy, in which the intimate and emotionally involving nature of the relationship might render the need for human interaction a strong deterrent to people's acceptance of anthropomorphised chatbots.Methods: This study included four hundred ninety‐four participants, aged 15 to 69 years (M = 22.77; SD = 8.43); 75.1% of them were females. They completed scales that measure attitudes towards the use of chatbots in psychotherapy, AI and seeking professional psychological help, need for human interaction in psychotherapy, importance of anthropomorphic qualities and intentions to use chatbots in psychotherapy.Results: Individuals' engagement in using chatbots in psychotherapy is related to their attitudes towards chatbots and towards AI in general, not only to the importance that they place on chatbots having anthropomorphic traits, but also to the strength of their needs for human interaction in the psychotherapeutic relationship.Conclusion: Technology can enhance the psychotherapeutic process, but should not replace therapists entirely for people who seek psychological assistance.