The relationship between subthreshold psychiatric symptoms and Internet Addiction in an Italian population

Background: Internet addiction (IA) is an emerging psychopathological entity, often comorbid with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Subthreshold psychopathology has recently emerged as a new field of research, with solid evidence highlighting its role in causing psychological distress.Aims: The study aimed to evaluate the presence of subthreshold psychopathological symptoms and IA in Italian adults recruited from the general population, searching for possible correlations between specific subclinical psychiatric disorders and internet abuse. Methods: The study was conducted by an online survey released through social networks, web advertising, institutional and professional mailing lists, and messaging services. The General 5-Spectrum Measure (GSM-V) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were chosen to assess subthreshold symptoms, and IA, respectively. Results: Significant positive correlations between the total score of the IAT total scores and the multiple domains of GSM-5 (p <0.0001), except for the Mania dimension (p = 0.717).Conclusions: IA is very common in subjects unaffected by major psychiatric disorders and it is associated with subthreshold psychopathological dimensions. Further studies on larger samples and the inclusion of a dimen-sional framework in research settings and clinical practice are needed to better understand the nature and the reciprocal relationships between IA and subthreshold psychopathology.

Automated summary

This study investigated the presence of subthreshold psychopathological symptoms and internet addiction in Italian adults from the general population, and found significant positive correlations between the two.