Evaluating different patterns of problematic internet use using a unified self-report measure based on the ICD-11 framework: Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the ACSID-11

The ACSID-11 was developed to assess five patterns of problematic Internet use-namely, gaming disorder, compulsive online shopping, problematic online pornography use, problematic social networks use, and online gambling disorder-using a unified set of items grounded in the ICD-11 framework. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the ACSID-11. A sample of 1263 participants (76.70 % females, M_age = 40.89, SD = 13.72, range = 18-83) completed the ACSID-11 and was included in the analysis of its factorial structure. A series of Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFAs) confirmed the assumed four-factorial structure (i.e., Impaired Control, Increased Priority, Continuation/Escalation of Use, Functional Impairment in Daily Life/Marked Distress), which was superior to the unidimensional solution for all the patterns of problematic Internet use. Moreover, the second-order models demonstrated comparable fit to the four-factor solutions and supported the use of an overall composite score. A subsample of 999 participants (76.40 % females, M = 40.59, SD = 13.67, range = 18-83) also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the General Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, whereas the number of participants who completed the measures used to assess convergent validity varied depending on whether they reported engaging in the corresponding behavior or not. Convergent and criterion validity were supported. These findings suggest that the Italian version of this unified item set is a valid and reliable tool for consistently assessing different patterns of problematic Internet use.