Incels: Lonely, Rejected, and Struggling with Mental Health

Overview

Paper Summary › Explain Like I'm Five › Conflicts of Interest › Identified Limitations › Rating Explanation › Good to know › Topic Hierarchy › File Information ›

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

Incels experience high rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and rejection sensitivity, and struggle with dating and forming relationships. They often cope using both healthy and unhealthy mechanisms, and may seek support in online communities where violent and misogynistic content may be present. More research, using a variety of methodologies, is needed to better understand this group and address their needs.

Explain Like I'm Five

Incels, or involuntarily celibates, face significant mental health challenges, including high rates of depression and anxiety. They struggle with dating and rejection, often finding support in online communities, some of which contain harmful content.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Limitations

Reliance on online forum data

The majority of the research cited is based on analyses of online forums and may not reflect the views of all incels. The study acknowledges the limitations of this approach but doesn't offer alternative methods.

Lack of clear explanation for incel violence

While the study reviews theories of aggression and violence, it does not provide a definitive explanation for why some incels engage in violence.

Limited primary data

The study relies on existing research but lacks primary data collection directly from a large and representative sample of incels. The authors acknowledge the challenges of recruiting incels for research.

Limited discussion of online community impact

The study mentions potential benefits of online incel communities but doesn't fully explore the complexities and potential harms of these spaces.

Rating Explanation

This is a review article that summarizes existing research on incels. It highlights important mental health concerns and social challenges faced by this group. However, it relies heavily on online forum data, which may not be fully representative of the incel population, and lacks primary data collection. It also doesn't offer definitive answers about why some incels commit violence.

Good to know

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Social Sciences

Field: Psychology

Subfield: General Psychology

File Information

Original Title: Involuntary Celibacy: A Review of Incel Ideology and Experiences with Dating, Rejection, and Associated Mental Health and Emotional Sequelae

Uploaded: August 22, 2025 at 01:27 PM

Privacy: Public