I rely on a little help from my friends: the effect of interpersonal and intrapersonal emotion regulation on the relationship between FOMO and problematic internet use.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the role of emotion regulation in relation to the links between fear of missing out (i.e., FOMO) and two components of problematic internet use: problematic social media use and doomscrolling. METHODS: Participants (N = 603, Mage = 30.41, SDage = 7.64; 49.1% male-identifying) completed measures of fear of missing out, intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation, and problematic social media use, and doomscrolling. A parallel mediation model was tested to examine the nature of the associations between fear of missing out, intrapersonal, and interpersonal emotion regulation, in accounting for variance in the outcome measures. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that the effect of fear of missing out on problematic social media use was fully mediated by both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation. In contrast, the effect on doomscrolling was fully mediated by intrapersonal emotion regulation only. CONCLUSIONS: Findings clarify the role of emotion regulation in explaining the relationship between fear of missing out and two types of problematic internet use, indicating a need to consider individual differences in emotion regulation in an evolving social media landscape.

Similarities and differences in the psychological factors associated with generalised problematic internet use, problematic social media use, and problematic online gaming.

Problematic online behaviours are a concern among university students. Although previous research has identified that psychological distress, cognitive distortions, conscientiousness and neuroticism traits, motor impulsivity, and emotion regulation strategies have a significant direct effect on generalised problematic Internet use (GPIU), problematic social media use (PSMU), and problematic online gaming (POG), it is still necessary to determine the extent to which these psychological factors, taken together, are associated with each of the problematic online behaviours. In a sample of 690 Spanish university students, the present study examined the relationship of these psychological factors with GPIU, PSMU, and POG. Correlation and regression analyses were performed. Results reported that (1) high psychological distress, low conscientiousness trait and high motor impulsivity were common associated factors of GPIU and PSMU, but not of POG; (2) high levels of cognitive distortions and cognitive reappraisal were common associated factors of GPIU, PSMU and POG; and (3) expressive suppression and neuroticism trait had no effect on any of the three problematic online behaviours. The findings will help to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies for each problematic online behaviour in the university context.

Problematic usage of the internet among Hungarian elementary school children: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Problematic usage of the internet (PUI) is perhaps one of the most frequently studied phenomena of the 21st century receiving increasing attention in both scientific literature and the media. Despite intensive research there have been relatively few meaningful studies among elementary school students in Hungary and worldwide, who may be considered as a high-risk population with regard to problematic internet use. The aim of our study was to carry out a complex research focusing on the prevalence and risk factors of PUI among elementary school children aged 10-15 years (Grade 5-8). METHODS: Demographics included were gender, age, place of stay, type of residence, family type, parental education, start of internet use, used devices, daily internet use, purpose of internet use, internet accounts, ways of keeping in touch with friends and sporting activities. PUI was evaluated using the paper-based version of the Potentially Problematic Use of the Internet Questionnaire. RESULTS: Overall, 2000 paper-based questionnaires were successfully delivered and the final analysis included 1168 responses (overall response rate 58.4%). Mean age was 12.55 ± 1.24 years. Female gender (OR = 2.760, p = 0,006, CI 95% 0.065 to 0.384), younger age (11-12 years) (OR = 3.812, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.747-4.731), early exposure to the internet (OR = 3.466, p = 0.001, 95% CI 1.535-5.446), living in a small village (OR = 1.081, p = 0.002, 95% CI 1.041-1.186) urgency to answer online (OR = 4.677, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 2.714-6.639), decreased frequency of personal contact with friends (OR = 2.897, p = 0.004, 95% CI: 1.037-1.681), spending more than 6 h online (OR = 12.913, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 10.798-14.892), morning and nighttime internet use (OR = 3.846, p < 0.001, CI 95% 1.886-5.810) and never doing any sports (OR = 2.016, p = 0.044, 95% CI: 1.050-3.354) were independently associated with problematic internet use. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of our questionnaire survey more than 10% seemed to be problematic users in our study population, which is a relatively high rate. Early exposure to the internet as well as younger age were strongly related to this phenomenon. Duration of being online as well as daily time interval of internet use are important predisposing factors. Scarcely studied social factors such as being online at the expense of personal relationships and the lack of physical activity should be payed more attention to prevent the development of PUI.

The relationship between physical exercise and problematic internet use in college students: the chain-mediated role of self-control and loneliness.

OBJECTIVE: From the perspective of exercise psychology, to investigate the antefacts of problematic internet use (PIU) in college students, and to reveal the chain mediating effect of self-control and loneliness between physical exercise and PIU. METHODS: 1081 college students in Chongqing, China were investigated by Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Self-control Scale (SCS), Loneliness Scale (UCLA), and Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R), and the data were statistically analyzed by SPSS25.0 and AMOS21.0 software. RESULTS: (1) There was a significant negative correlation between physical exercise and PIU, and the former has a direct negative predictive effect on the latter. (2) Physical exercise could indirectly influence the PIU of college students through the partial mediating effect of self-control and loneliness, respectively. (3) Physical exercise could also indirectly influence PIU through the chain mediation of "self-control → loneliness". CONCLUSION: Maintaining regular physical exercise can promote the improvement of self-control and the weakening of the loneliness experience of college students, and then help to prevent or alleviate PIU behavior, which is of great significance for psychological and behavioral health.

Stress and suicide risk among adolescents: the role of problematic internet use, gaming disorder and emotional regulation.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have associated videogame playing and social media use with suicidal behaviors together with lower stress coping or poor emotion regulation strategies. Due to the inconclusive evidence regarding the factors associated with suicidal behavior, the present study aimed to overcome the limitations of previous research and explored the relationship between adolescent stress, problematic internet use (PIU), gaming disorder (GD), and emotional regulation (ER) in a cross-section design. It was hypothesized that stress would have a direct effect on suicide risk (SR) as well as being mediated by PIU, GD, and ER. METHODS: The participants comprised 430 adolescents (58.4% male) aged between 16 and 19 years. They completed an online survey including the Mobile-Related Experiences Questionnaire, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, Meta-Mood Trait Repair Scale, and Spanish version of the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 34.2% of the adolescents (N = 147) were at risk for SR. Results also indicated that 30,7% had experienced suicidal ideation at some point in their life, 12.1% had at least one plan to die by suicide, and 5.1% had attempted suicide. Results of path analysis confirmed that stress appeared to be a risk factor for suicide, but that its effects were not mediated by PIU. However, ER and GD mediated the effect of stress on SR. The results suggest that stress is a main risk factor for suicide, especially among adolescents with poor emotional regulation or problematic gaming. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the prevalence of suicide among adolescents, the results of the present study suggest that suicide prevention programs should include emotional regulation strategies, stress coping, and videogaming management skills in the early stages of high school. Providing these protective resources to adolescents will help them face the stressful and changing situations typical of adolescence and will help them to attain greater well-being and satisfaction with life.

Supervisor's neuroticism and problematic Internet use among graduate students: the mediating role of supervisor-student relationship quality and the moderating role of fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Graduate students exhibit vulnerability to problematic Internet use, which can result in adverse physical, psychological, and social consequences. However, limited studies have addressed this issue among graduate students, and even fewer have explored the unique factors contributing to their problematic Internet use. Therefore, to address this gap, the current study aims to probe the relationship between supervisor's neuroticism and problematic Internet use among graduate students, the mediating effect of the supervisor-student relationship quality, as well as the moderating effect of fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 at three universities in Beijing, China. Anonymous data from 448 graduate students were collected regarding problematic Internet use, supervisor's neuroticism, supervisor-student relationship quality, and the fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation. A moderated mediation analysis was performed using Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 14). RESULTS: Supervisor's neuroticism was positively linked to graduate students' problematic Internet use, supervisor-student relationship quality mediated the linkage, and fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation played a moderating role in the second stage. Specifically, for students lower in fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation, supervisor-student relationship quality negatively predicted students' problematic Internet use. While for the graduate students higher in fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation, supervisor-student relationship quality could not significantly predict students' problematic Internet use. The mediating effect was only significant for graduate students lower in fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: This study established a theoretical model linking supervisor's neuroticism to graduate students' problematic Internet use, highlighting the potential roles of supervisor-student relationship quality and fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation. Reducing the neuroticism level of the supervisor, enhancing the quality of the supervisor-student relationship, and mitigating students' fear of the supervisor's negative evaluation will contribute to the reduction of problematic Internet use among graduate students.

Associations between problem technology use, life stress, and self-esteem among high school students.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical period for development, with many risk factors resulting in long-term health consequences, particularly regarding mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between problem technology use, life stress, and self-esteem in a representative sample of adolescents residing in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Self-reported data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 4,748 students (57.9% females) in grades 9 to 12 (mean age: 15.9 ± 1.3 years) who participated in the 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. Problem technology use was measured using the 6-item Short Problem Internet Use Test, life stress was assessed using an item from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey and self-esteem was assessed using a global measure from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Ordinal logistic regression models were adjusted for age, sex, ethnoracial background, subjective socioeconomic status, body mass index z-score, tobacco cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and cannabis use. RESULTS: We found that 18.3% of participants reported symptoms of moderate-to-high problem technology use, although symptoms were more common in females than males (22% vs. 14.7%, respectively). Moderate-to-high problem technology use was associated with 2.04 (95% CI: 1.77-2.35) times higher odds of reporting high life stress and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.76-2.45) times higher odds of reporting low self-esteem compared to all other response options. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study show that problem technology use is strongly associated with higher life stress and lower self-esteem in adolescents. This study supports the importance of developing and implementing effective strategies that help to mitigate the adverse effects of problem technology use on adolescent mental health.

Network Structure and Clustering Analysis Relating to Individual Symptoms of Problematic Internet Use in a Community Adolescent Population.

INTRODUCTION: Problematic internet use (PIU) is a psychopathology that includes multiple symptoms and psychological constructs. Because no studies have considered both network structures and clusters among individual symptoms in the context of PIU in a Korean adolescent population, this study aimed to investigate network structures and clustering in relation to PIU symptoms in adolescents. METHODS: Overall, 73,238 adolescents were included. PIU severity was assessed using a self-rating scale comprising 20 items and 6 subscales, namely, the Internet Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth-Short Form; KS scale. Network structures and clusters among symptoms were analyzed using a Gaussian graphical model and exploratory graph analysis, respectively. Centrality of strength, closeness, and betweenness scores was also calculated. RESULTS: Our study identified four clusters: disturbance in adaptive functioning, virtual interpersonal relationships, withdrawal, and tolerance. The symptom of confidence served as a node bridging the cluster of virtual interpersonal relationships and other clusters of withdrawal and disturbances of adaptive function. The symptom of craving served as a bridge between the clusters of withdrawal and tolerance with high betweenness centrality. CONCLUSION: This study identified network structures and clustering among PIU symptoms in adolescents and revealed that positive experiences derived from online interpersonal relationships were an important mechanism underlying PIU. These are novel insights concerning the interconnection among multiple symptoms and related clustering for the mechanism of adolescent PIU in terms of KS-scale PIU assessment.

Problematic internet use profiles and their associated factors among adolescents.

The cognitive-behavioral model of generalized Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is the theoretical approach that has obtained the most evidence on the study of this problem, which includes four components: Online Social Preference, Mood Regulation, Deficient Self-Regulation, and Negative Outcomes. This study aimed to identify PIU profiles using Latent Profile Analysis, and to analyze the differences in them attending to some of the principal PIU risk and protective factors. A total of 675 Spanish adolescents completed questionnaires assessing PIU, Internet usage, mental health problems, personality, psychological strengths, and family relationships. Four profiles were obtained: Nonproblematic use (68.30% of the sample), Slightly problematic use (17.90% of the sample), Problematic use (8.50% of the sample), and Severe problematic use (5.40% of the sample). Results showed differences between them, with the profile with more PIU having more risk factors and less protective factors. Results showed that many different personal and social variables included in the study play a role in PIU. Knowing the different PIU profiles can help in the design of more specific and precise procedures and instruments for risk assessment, as well as aiding in prevention and in the design of more individualized treatments.

The mediation roles of self-regulation and problematic internet use: How maladaptive parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced adolescents' academic procrastination in the postpandemic era.

INTRODUCTION: In the transition to the postpandemic era, adolescents are working to shift their focus back to school. However, the prevalence of academic procrastination is reflective of that the aftereffects of the pandemic are persisting. Literature documents the increases in the negative parenting behaviors and internet use of adolescents during the pandemic. The excessive internet use has to do with adolescents' self-regulatory capabilities and self-regulation is profoundly shaped by parents' parenting practices. Given the connections among these factors, the present study seeks to understand how maladaptive parenting practices during the pandemic influenced adolescents' academic procrastination postpandemic through the mediation of self-regulation and problematic internet use. METHOD: Using three waves of data from a total of 1062 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.9 years old, SD = 1.6, 13-18 years old; 45% female), we used structural equation modeling to examine the direct effect of maladaptive parenting on academic procrastination and its indirect effect via self-regulation and problematic internet use. RESULTS: Maladaptive parenting during the pandemic did not directly predict adolescent academic procrastination post-pandemic. Yet, maladaptive parenting indirectly influenced academic procrastination both through self-regulation solely and self-regulation and problematic internet use sequentially. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that parents can contribute to adolescents' academic procrastination by influencing their self-regulation ability, which further impacts their internet use. Self-regulation serves as a robust mediator between parenting and adolescents' problematic behaviors related to internet use and learning. Implications for parents and intervention oriented toward adolescents are discussed.

Parental Autonomy Granting, Peer Attachment and Problematic Internet Use Among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of School Climate.

While the correlation between parental autonomy granting and adolescents' problematic Internet use (PIU) has been confirmed, the processes underlying this connection have not been thoroughly investigated. Drawing on the ecological systems theory, this study sought to investigate the mediating mechanism of peer attachment and the moderating mechanism of school climate that link parental autonomy granting to PIU. A two-wave longitudinal design was employed with a time interval of six months. The participants were 852 adolescents who attended three middle schools located in Guangdong Province, China. Self-report questionnaires were used to obtain data on demographics, parental autonomy granting, peer attachment, school climate, and PIU. The findings indicated that peer attachment significantly mediated the link between parental autonomy granting and adolescent PIU. A positive school climate significantly moderated the influence of parental autonomy granting on peer attachment and the influence of peer attachment on PIU. Specifically, the association between parental autonomy granting and peer attachment and the association between peer attachment and PIU were more pronounced when the school climate was perceived to be positive. This research underscores the possible significance of peer attachment in the association between parental autonomy granting and PIU and offers valuable insights for mitigating the negative outcomes of PIU.

Association Between Parental Problematic Internet Use and Adolescent Depression.

We examined the association between parental problematic internet use (PIU) and adolescent depression and whether this association varied based on internet-related rules. We recruited adolescents ages 13-18 and their parent using national Qualtrics panels (N = 4592 dyads). Measures included the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS-3), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the internet specific parenting practice scale (ISPPS). Parental PIU was associated with symptoms of adolescent depression, including suicidal ideation, even when controlling for adolescent PIU (ß = 0.35, 95% CI [0.32, 0.38]). Time-related rules moderated this association in a non-linear way where the association was strongest when time-related rules were unclear / mid-range. The moderation effect was linear for content-related rules, where stricter rules were associated with a weaker association between parent PIU and adolescent depression. Results support clinicians assessing parent PIU when treating depressed adolescents and engaging parents in monitoring their adolescents' internet use content.

The mediating role of trait mindfulness and dissociative experiences in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and problematic internet use in Italian adolescents.

There is clear evidence linking trauma, mindfulness, dissociation and problematic internet use (PIU). Nonetheless, little is known about the role trait mindfulness and dissociative experiences may have in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and PIU, as well as the role that gender may have in such relationships. In the current research, self-report questionnaires on CEA, trait mindfulness, dissociative experiences and PIU were administered to 1074 Italian adolescents (50% females) aged 14-17 years old, to test whether trait mindfulness and dissociative experiences mediated the relationship between CEA and PIU, and whether the proposed mediation was invariant across genders. Furthermore, the main analyses were controlled for background variables. The findings highlighted significant associations between all direct and indirect paths and invariance of the mediation model across boys and girls. The results of this study highlight that emotionally abused boys and girls with high levels of dissociation and inadequate mindful skills may be more exposed to dysfunctional online activities. Hence, developing dissociation-focused and mindfulness-based interventions for emotionally abused adolescents may be clinically effective when building tailored approaches for the prevention and management of PIU. Further implications are discussed.

The Effects of Problematic Internet Use and Emotional Connotation on Internet Slang Processing: Evidence from a Lexical Decision Task.

Young people use slang for identifying themselves with a particular social group, gaining social recognition and respect from that group, and expressing their emotional state. One feature of Internet slang is its active use by youth in online communication, which, under certain conditions, may cause problematic Internet use (PIU). We conducted two studies in young Russian speakers (n1 = 115, n2 = 106). In study 1, participants were asked to rate a set of slang and common words using Self-Assessment Manikin. The study revealed that the most reliable predictor of higher emotional ratings was word familiarity. There were no significant effects of slang vs. common words or word frequency. In study 2, we used a dual lexical decision task to reveal the effects of word characteristics and propensity for PIU on reaction time (RT) for Internet slang words in pairs with semantically related vs. unrelated common words. Study 2 did not reveal any significant semantic priming effect. Word frequency was a significant predictor of lexical decision facilitation. Common, but not slang, word valence and dominance significantly affected RT in the opposite direction. Individuals with higher cognitive preoccupation with the Internet responded significantly faster, while those more likely to use online communication for mood regulation responded significantly slower to the stimuli. Apparently, on explicit and implicit levels, in-depth knowledge of Internet slang can be one the PIU markers. The results are discussed in line with Davis' approach to determining the general pathological Internet use.

The association between problematic internet use and burnout: A three-level meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Burnout has received considerable attention in recent years because of the adverse consequences for people. Theoretical perspectives propose that problematic internet use is a significant potential risk for burnout. Despite a plethora of studies showing a positive association between problematic internet use and burnout, there remains a contentious debate regarding the extent and direction of this association. METHODS: This study aims to perform a three-level meta-analysis to evaluate the strength of the relationship between problematic internet use and burnout through a quantitative synthesis of eligible studies published until April 2023. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies with 54,121 participants and 103 effect sizes were identified. The results indicated a positive, moderate, and significant association between problematic internet use and burnout. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis found that this association was moderated by population, dimension of burnout, and the measure of burnout, however, some study features (i.e., region, type of problematic internet use, gender, and publication year) could not explain the heterogeneity across individual studies. LIMITATIONS: Studies included in the current meta-analysis mainly used cross-sectional designs, which limited the potential to make inferences on the causal relationship between problematic internet use and burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with problematic internet use have exhibited higher levels of burnout. Overall, these findings develop a deeper understanding of this association between problematic internet use and burnout and have implications for the direction of future research and interventions.

Online dating: predictors of problematic tinder use.

BACKGROUND: Geolocation apps have radically transformed dating practices around the world, with profound sociocultural implications. Few studies, however, have explored their addictive potential or factors that are associated with their misuse. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to assess the level of problematic Tinder use (PTU) in an adult sample, using a machine learning algorithm to determine, among 29 relevant variables, the most important predictors of PTU. METHODS: 1,387 users of Tinder (18-74 years-old; male = 50.3%; female = 49.1%) completed an online questionnaire, and a machine learning tool was used to analyze their responses. RESULTS: On 5-point scale, participants' mean PTU score was 1.91 (SD = 0.70), indicating a relatively low overall level of problematic app use. Among the most important predictors of Problematic use were the use of Tinder for enhancement (reduce boredom and increase positive emotions), coping with psychological problems, and increasing social connectedness. The number of "matches" (when two users show mutual interest), the number of online contacts on Tinder, and the number of resulting offline dates were also among the top predictors of PTU. Depressive mood and loneliness were among the middle-ranked predictors of PTU. CONCLUSION: In accordance with the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model of problematic internet use, the results suggest that PTU relates to how individual experience on the app interacts with dispositional and situational characteristics. However, variables that seemed to relate to PTU, including lack of self-esteem, negative mood states and loneliness, are not problems that online dating services as currently designed can be expected to resolve. This argues for increased digital services to identify and address potential problems helping drive the popularity of dating apps.

Adolescent Screen Use: Problematic Internet Use and the Impact of Gender.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between screen use and problematic internet use (PIU; i.e., internet addiction) amongst adolescents has not been sufficiently explored. Further, there is even less research on how gender is associated with this relationship. The goal of the study was to examine adolescent screen use, PIU, and its impact on day-to-day routines of adolescents. METHODS: Participants were recruited from an outpatient pediatric clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 180 adolescents completed questionnaires related to their screen use, extracurricular activities, and symptoms of PIU. Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to determine correlates and predictors of PIU, and to explore gender differences. RESULTS: A total of 26.1% of adolescents met the criteria for PIU. There were no significant differences between boys and girls in PIU severity. However, there were significant gender differences in preferred use of the Internet, with boys being more likely to access the Internet to play video games (odds ratio [OR]=27.1) and girls being more likely to socialize with friends (OR=4.51). PIU severity increased proportionally to the number of hours of use of all screen devices with moderate-to-large effect sizes (η2=0.060-0.157). Using screens during meals and missing extracurricular activities were both associated with PIU. CONCLUSION: Though gender was not associated with PIU, both excessive use of screen devices during meals and neglect of offline extracurriculars activities were identified as risk factors for PIU. Prevention measures should consider the impact of gender and associated patterns of motivation and Internet use.

Adverse childhood experience and young adult's problematic Internet use: The role of hostility and loneliness.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have explored the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and problematic Internet use (PIU) during young adulthood. Moreover, even fewer studies have explored the roles of loneliness (social and emotional) and hostility in this relationship. METHODS: This study used data from the Taiwan Youth Project (2011-2017). The analytical sample included 1885 participants (mean age = 31.3 years). PIU was measured using the short form of Chen's Internet Addiction Scale (2017). ACEs were assessed at the baseline of the adolescent phase (mean age = 14.3 years); this indicator has undergone recent revision. Hostility (three items from the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised) and loneliness (six items from the De Jong Gierveld scale) were measured in 2011 and 2014, respectively. RESULTS: ACEs were associated with hostility and loneliness (emotional and social). Additionally, hostility (ß = 0.62, p < .01) and emotional loneliness (ß = 0.44, p < .01) were significantly associated with PIU. Most mediating paths (e.g., ACE → hostility → PIU) were significant, based on the bootstrapping results. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that ACEs have a long-term shadow effect on PIU in young adults. ACEs show an indirect association with PIU through both hostility and loneliness, as well as involving the relationship between them.

Dissociation of prepotent response inhibition and interference control in problematic internet use: evidence from the Go/No-Go and Flanker tasks.

BACKGROUND: Problematic Internet Use (PIU), characterized by failures to control the overuse of internet, is associated with a range of functional impairments. However, there is limited research on the specific impact of PIU on inhibitory control functions, particularly in terms of differentiating between prepotent response inhibition and interference control. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate these two components of inhibitory control in individuals with PIU. METHODS: Thirty participants who met the PIU criteria and 30 control participants were included in the present study. All participants completed the Go/No-Go and Flanker tasks, in which internet-related images and words were used as task stimuli. RESULTS: In the Go/No-Go task, all participants exhibited poorer performance in inhibiting internet-related stimuli compared to internet-unrelated stimuli, during the No-Go trials. In the Flanker task, results revealed a three-way interaction of Group, Stimulus type and Congruency. Specifically, in the incongruent condition, participants with PIU exhibited slower responses for internet-unrelated targets compared to internet-related targets, whereas no similar effect was observed among individuals with low internet use. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that difficulties in controlling the interference effect of internet-related information represent a key dysfunction in inhibitory control of PIU.

Comparison of Opioid Use Disorder Patients with and without Problematic Internet Use in Terms of Impulsivity and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

AIMS: This study seeks to investigate ADHD symptoms and impulsivity among individuals diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) who also exhibit symptoms of Problematic Internet Use (PIU). METHODS: The study involved the participation of 360 Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) patients enrolled at an Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Center (ADATC) during the period from October to December 2022. Various assessment tools were administered, including Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), and Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). Problematic Internet Use (PIU) was identified by YIAS scores equal to or exceeding 50. RESULTS: The majority of participants diagnosed with OUD showed comorbid PIU with high levels of depression, anxiety and ADHD symptoms. Both BDI and BAI scores showed a significant increase in the PIU group compared to the non-PIU group (p<0.001). Significant differences were observed in BIS Motor Impulsivity, Attentional Impulsivity and Total scores, indicating higher impulsivity in the PIU group (all p<0.001). Additionally, higher ASRS scores were found in the PIU group (p<0.001). DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the importance of addressing PIU and comorbidities in OUD treatment. Interventions targeting ADHD symptoms and emotional well-being may benefit PIU management.