Quantitative data on the perspective of camgirl-researchers: challenges in thinking through the mental health of platform-based sex workers

Abstract

Based on our experience as camgirls-researchers and our lived experience and coexistence within webcam model communities, a form was developed in order to address gaps related to brazilian webcamming. With the objective of better understanding the mental health demands of our population, we constructed a set of questions aimed at obtaining both baseline data (age, race, gender, sexuality, parenthood, and income) and specific data on mental health demands within this class of professionals. A total of 127 responses were collected. The results draw attention to several points, especially by demonstrating both a high proportion of LGBTQIA+ individuals (77.2%) and significant challenges in the fields of mental health and parenthood. We highlight the relationship between mental health issues among webcamming professionals, which identified the most frequent complaints as “States of anxiety and fear” (75.6%), “Mood states” (58.3%), “Self-knowledge and self-development” (54.3%), and “Self-esteem” (53.4%). As less frequent aspects, the data indicate “Gender-based violence” (6.3%) and “Rights violations” (7.9%). From a critical perspective, we analyze this phenomenon through discussions on the platformization of labor, neoliberal entrepreneurial discourse, and the putafeminist perspective on sex work.