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 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