{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T06:15:40Z","timestamp":1788156940224,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788134400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Internet Addiction (IA) is a rising issue among young adults and is associated with emotional, relational, and cognitive difficulties. In line with the I-PACE model, this study aimed to explore the mediating role of the three dimensions of alexithymia (Difficulty Identifying Feelings\u2014DIF; Difficulty Describing Feelings\u2014DDF; and Externally-Oriented Thinking\u2014EOT) in the relationship between IA severity and psychological inflexibility.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study involved 224 young Italian adults (Mage = 23.76, SD\u00a0=\u00a05.82) with mild and moderate levels of IA, defined by a total score on the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) of \u2265 30.\u00a0A parallel multiple mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro for R.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The results showed that the severity of IA was positively associated with all dimensions of alexithymia. The mediation analysis revealed two significant indirect pathways: DIF negatively mediated the relationship between IA and psychological inflexibility, while EOT showed a positive mediation effect. In contrast, DDF did not produce any significant indirect effects.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall, the results suggest that different dimensions of alexithymia contribute in different ways to the relationship between IA and psychological inflexibility. The observed association may reflect an apparent flexibility rather than actual adaptive capacity, highlighting the need for longitudinal studies to further clarify the underlying mechanisms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1922964","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T05:40:06Z","timestamp":1788154806000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Internet addiction and psychological inflexibility in young adults: a parallel mediation analysis of alexithymia facets within an I-PACE framework"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Daniele","family":"Mollaioli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina","place":["Messina, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Clara","family":"Lombardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of \u201cHealth Sciences\u201d, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro","place":["Catanzaro, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Salvo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Pathology, Medical Oncology Unit, Polyclinic Hospital","place":["Messina, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Imbesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of \u201cHealth Sciences\u201d, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro","place":["Catanzaro, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luana","family":"Sorrenti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina","place":["Messina, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federica","family":"Zuccal\u00e0","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatric Unit, Polyclinic Hospital","place":["Messina, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carmela","family":"Mento","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina","place":["Messina, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31887\/DCNS.2020.22.2\/mhoehe","article-title":"Going digital: How technology use may influence human brains and behavior","volume":"22","author":"Hoehe","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dialogues Clin Neurosci"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/NAN.S60982","article-title":"Clinical psychology of internet addiction: A review of its conceptualization, prevalence, neuronal processes, and implications for treatment","volume":"11","author":"Griffiths","year":"2015","journal-title":"Neurosci Neuroeconomics"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2013.09.007","article-title":"An overview of problematic internet use","volume":"39","author":"Spada","year":"2014","journal-title":"Addict Behav"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0002764204270278","article-title":"Internet addiction: A new clinical phenomenon and its consequences","volume":"48","author":"Young","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am Behav Scientist"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40429-015-0054-y","article-title":"Can disordered mobile phone use be considered a behavioral addiction? 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