{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T05:03:03Z","timestamp":1789102983313,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":107,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780358400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Recovery and Resilience Plan","award":["39-412-19-DOT18G59FB-4181"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["39-412-19-DOT18G59FB-4181"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosmentalhealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Ment Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) are emerging public health concerns associated with various mental health conditions, including autistic traits. However, PIU and PMPU remain poorly understood, and the role of psychological distress as a contributing factor has not been fully clarified. This study examined frequency and associations of autistic traits, PIU and PMPU, and substance use in adults, accounting for psychological distress. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 420 Italian adults aged 18 \u2013 65, to assess autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient, AQ), PIU (Uso e Abuso di Internet-2, UADI-2), PMPU (Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale for Adults, MPPUS), substance use (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test, ASSIST), and psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, K10). Correlation analyses, MANCOVA and Multivariate Multiple Regression (MMR) were performed to examine associations between variables, controlling for psychological distress. Young adults (18\u201324 years) showed higher levels of Internet (M\u2009=\u200966.36, SD\u2009=\u200913.56, 95% CI [63.87, 68.85]) and mobile phone use (M\u2009=\u200961.41, SD\u2009=\u200914.25, 95% CI [58.92, 63.9]). Autistic traits correlated positively with both PIU and PMPU, while psychological distress was positively associated with all outcomes, including substance use in younger participants. MANCOVA indicated significant effects of autistic traits and psychological distress on outcomes. MMR showed that higher autistic traits predicted higher PIU and PMPU, while psychological distress additionally predicted substance use. Autistic traits and psychological distress were significantly associated with PIU and PMPU, with psychological distress showing stronger associations. PIU and PMPU may be specifically linked to autistic traits, whereas substance use may be more related to psychological distress, suggesting different pathways. Further efforts should prioritize interventions targeting distress and emotion-regulation skills, particularly among young adults and individuals exhibiting PIU and PMPU.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmen.0000524","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T17:27:31Z","timestamp":1780421251000},"page":"e0000524","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pmen.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Association between Problematic Internet and Mobile Phone Use, autistic traits, and psychological distress among adults: A cross-sectional survey"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"3","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-3916-769X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Matilda","family":"Floris","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudio","family":"Gentili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref001","author":"CENSIS","year":"2025"},{"issue":"2","key":"pmen.0000524.ref002","first-page":"99","article-title":"The Correlation Analysis between Hours of Smartphone Use And Neck Pain in the Gachon University Students","volume":"31","author":"HS","year":"2014"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2016.08.030","article-title":"Problematic smartphone use: A conceptual overview and systematic review of relations with anxiety and depression psychopathology","volume":"207","author":"JD Elhai","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apnu.2023.08.009","article-title":"Problematic internet use and psychological distress among student nurses: The mediating role of coping skills","volume":"46","author":"LJ Labrague","year":"2023","journal-title":"Arch Psychiatr Nurs"},{"issue":"5","key":"pmen.0000524.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"504","DOI":"10.1111\/apa.12971","article-title":"Problematic Internet use is associated with substance use in young adolescents","volume":"104","author":"J R\u00fccker","year":"2015","journal-title":"Acta Paediatr"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-11-66","article-title":"Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults--a prospective cohort study","volume":"11","author":"S Thom\u00e9e","year":"2011","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"152286","DOI":"10.1016\/j.comppsych.2021.152286","article-title":"Tracing 20 years of research on problematic use of the internet and social media: Theoretical models, assessment tools, and an agenda for future work","volume":"112","author":"T Moretta","year":"2022","journal-title":"Compr Psychiatry"},{"issue":"1","key":"pmen.0000524.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1089\/cpb.2008.0181","article-title":"The Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS): some psychometric properties","volume":"12","author":"G-J Meerkerk","year":"2009","journal-title":"Cyberpsychol Behav"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.books.9780890425787","volume-title":"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition","author":"American Psychiatric Association","year":"2022"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"612","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2020.08.013","article-title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiology of internet addiction","volume":"118","author":"Y-C Pan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Neurosci Biobehav Rev"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2017.07.039","article-title":"Problematic internet use among high school students: Prevalence, associated factors and gender differences","volume":"257","author":"F Vigna-Taglianti","year":"2017","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"pmen.0000524.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1186\/s13034-023-00620-z","article-title":"Differences between problematic internet and smartphone use and their psychological risk factors in boys and girls: a network analysis","volume":"17","author":"D Rozgonjuk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health"},{"key":"pmen.0000524.ref013","first-page":"217","article-title":"Problematic smartphone use and problematic internet use: The two faces of technological addiction","author":"JR Taufik","year":"2021","journal-title":"Proceedings of the TICMIH 2021. 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