Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults
Background: Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI) is a considerable issue of the modern era, but its risk factors are still poorly understood. Impulsivity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms have been associated with PUI, but this relationship is still debated. In this article we focus on the relation...
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doaj-0a6ba31c3922464fbe2cb9a789de3bda2021-03-05T04:25:56ZengElsevierComprehensive Psychiatry0010-440X2021-04-01106152225Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adultsFrancesco Di Carlo0Mauro Pettorruso1Maria Chiara Alessi2Elena Picutti3Rebecca Collevecchio4Giuseppe Migliara5Gaia Baroni6Francesco Gambi7Eduardo Cinosi8Giovanni Martinotti9Jon E. Grant10Massimo di Giannantonio11Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Corresponding author at: via Luigi Polacchi 33, 66100 Chieti (CH), Italy.Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyHertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UKDepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Clinical Science, University of Hertfordshire, Herts, UKDepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USADepartment of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti – Pescara, Chieti, ItalyBackground: Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI) is a considerable issue of the modern era, but its risk factors are still poorly understood. Impulsivity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms have been associated with PUI, but this relationship is still debated. In this article we focus on the relationships of PUI with obsessive-compulsive and impulsive symptoms in a cohort of Italian young adults, in order to identify possible vulnerability factors for PUI. Methods: A sample of 772 Italian individuals aged 18–30 (mean age 23.3 ± 3.3 years old; 38% males and 62% females) was assessed via online survey using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Screen, the Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision (PI-WSUR) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Results: Ninety-seven subjects (12.6% of the sample) reported IAT scores at risk for PUI. PUI participants reported higher levels of impulsivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a higher burden of co-occurrent psychiatric symptoms. In a logistic regression model, obsessional impulses to harm (OR = 1.108, p < 0.001), attentional impulsivity (OR = 1.155, p < 0.001) and depressive symptomatology (OR = 1.246, p = 0.012) had significant association with PUI. Finally, higher severity of PUI has been associated with manic/psychotic symptoms and with attentional impulsivity. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed the role of impulsivity in PUI, while also underling the association of obsessional impulses with this pathological behavior. We could hypothesize a trigger role of obsessive impulses for the engagement in PUI, together with factors as negative affective states. Further research is needed with respect to more severe forms of PUI, also for establishing tailored interventions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X21000031Internet addictionImpulsivityObsessive impulsesCompulsivityVulnerabilityYoung adults |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Francesco Di Carlo Mauro Pettorruso Maria Chiara Alessi Elena Picutti Rebecca Collevecchio Giuseppe Migliara Gaia Baroni Francesco Gambi Eduardo Cinosi Giovanni Martinotti Jon E. Grant Massimo di Giannantonio |
spellingShingle |
Francesco Di Carlo Mauro Pettorruso Maria Chiara Alessi Elena Picutti Rebecca Collevecchio Giuseppe Migliara Gaia Baroni Francesco Gambi Eduardo Cinosi Giovanni Martinotti Jon E. Grant Massimo di Giannantonio Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults Comprehensive Psychiatry Internet addiction Impulsivity Obsessive impulses Compulsivity Vulnerability Young adults |
author_facet |
Francesco Di Carlo Mauro Pettorruso Maria Chiara Alessi Elena Picutti Rebecca Collevecchio Giuseppe Migliara Gaia Baroni Francesco Gambi Eduardo Cinosi Giovanni Martinotti Jon E. Grant Massimo di Giannantonio |
author_sort |
Francesco Di Carlo |
title |
Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults |
title_short |
Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults |
title_full |
Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults |
title_fullStr |
Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults |
title_full_unstemmed |
Characterizing the building blocks of Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI): The role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among Italian young adults |
title_sort |
characterizing the building blocks of problematic use of the internet (pui): the role of obsessional impulses and impulsivity traits among italian young adults |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Comprehensive Psychiatry |
issn |
0010-440X |
publishDate |
2021-04-01 |
description |
Background: Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI) is a considerable issue of the modern era, but its risk factors are still poorly understood. Impulsivity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms have been associated with PUI, but this relationship is still debated. In this article we focus on the relationships of PUI with obsessive-compulsive and impulsive symptoms in a cohort of Italian young adults, in order to identify possible vulnerability factors for PUI. Methods: A sample of 772 Italian individuals aged 18–30 (mean age 23.3 ± 3.3 years old; 38% males and 62% females) was assessed via online survey using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Screen, the Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision (PI-WSUR) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Results: Ninety-seven subjects (12.6% of the sample) reported IAT scores at risk for PUI. PUI participants reported higher levels of impulsivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a higher burden of co-occurrent psychiatric symptoms. In a logistic regression model, obsessional impulses to harm (OR = 1.108, p < 0.001), attentional impulsivity (OR = 1.155, p < 0.001) and depressive symptomatology (OR = 1.246, p = 0.012) had significant association with PUI. Finally, higher severity of PUI has been associated with manic/psychotic symptoms and with attentional impulsivity. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed the role of impulsivity in PUI, while also underling the association of obsessional impulses with this pathological behavior. We could hypothesize a trigger role of obsessive impulses for the engagement in PUI, together with factors as negative affective states. Further research is needed with respect to more severe forms of PUI, also for establishing tailored interventions. |
topic |
Internet addiction Impulsivity Obsessive impulses Compulsivity Vulnerability Young adults |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X21000031 |
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