Online time among adolescents and young adults: the relation between psychotic-like experiences and problematic internet use.

Introduction: Psychotic-like experiences (PLE) are usually a transitory state, and most individuals will not transition to psychosis. However, individuals with PLE may experience symptoms such as social anxiety, which may lead to choosing the Internet as a preferred means of social interaction. Objectives: To examine the relation between PLE and problematic Internet use (PIU). Methods: Data from an online questionnaire (N = 280; M = 23.9 years old; 55 % male) was analyzed. Measures: PLE were assessed with the Early Recognition Inventory/Interview for the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset of Schizophrenia (ERIraos); PIU with the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS); social anxiety with the Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN); and preference for online social interactions with the Preference for Online Social Interaction scale (POSI). Analyses: PIU was divided into two groups based on the CIUS cutoff of ≥ 18. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed and adjusted for sex, age, Internet hours, POSI, and social anxiety. Results: N = 56 reached the cutoff for PIU, while N = 224 did not report PIU. There were no significant differences in any demographics between the two groups. Individuals who experienced an increased amount of PLE had a higher probability of reaching the cutoff for a PIU (AOR = 1.35 [95% CI 1.01-1.27]). Participants with increased levels of anxiety were 1.18 times as likely as those with lower levels of anxiety to reach the cutoff for PIU. Conclusions: Results implicate a close relation between the phenomena of PLE and continued PIU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]