Association between problematic Internet use and impulse control disorders among Iranian university students

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is increasingly recognized, with prior research linking it to pathological gambling and general impulsivity.
• However, the association between PIU and other specific impulse control disorders remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and compulsive buying, kleptomania, trichotillomania, intermittent explosive disorder, and pyromania.
• To assess these associations within a sample of Iranian university students.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was employed with a random sample of 950 university students.
• Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, including the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) and the Minnesota Impulse Disorders Interview.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) was found to be 21.2%.
• Students diagnosed with compulsive buying, intermittent explosive disorder, or pyromania exhibited significantly higher PIUQ scores.
• Multivariate regression revealed that compulsive buying and intermittent explosive disorder were significant predictors of PIU risk in males.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the conceptualization of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) as potentially belonging to the spectrum of impulse control disorders.
• This research highlights the comorbidity between PIU and other impulse control conditions, particularly in a student population.