ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2026
Internet addiction and psychological inflexibility in young adults: a parallel mediation analysis of alexithymia facets within an I-PACE framework.
Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Introduction: 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-DIF; Difficulty Describing Feelings-DDF; and Externally-Oriented Thinking-EOT) in the relationship between IA severity and psychological inflexibility. Method: The study involved 224 young Italian adults (Mage = 23.76, SD = 5.82) with mild and moderate levels of IA, defined by a total score on the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) of ≥ 30. A parallel multiple mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro for R. Results: 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. Discussion: 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.
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