Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40468217›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

On the relationship between internet addiction and ADHD symptoms in adults: does the type of online activity matter?

Tuba Aydın, Benjamin A Parris, Gizem Arabacı, Marina Kilintari, Jacqui Taylor

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Tuba AydınDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. tbaydin055@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9096-4521
Benjamin A ParrisDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2402-2100
Gizem ArabacıDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5722-0520
Marina KilintariDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2020-0766
Jacqui TaylorDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2145-5077

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStudies shows that there is a relationship between internet addiction and ADHD symptoms, especially inattention. A study found that there is a unique relation between each core ADHD symptom and different types of internet activities. Another study found that deficits in inhibitory control moderate the relationship between internet addiction and inattention. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how specific online activities might modify the relationship between inattention, internet addiction and inhibitory control.

methods205 participants (79 females,126 males) between 18 and 49 years old took part in the study from a community sample. They completed the demographic information form, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Symptom (ASRS-v1.1) Checklist, and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) online. Then, they performed the Stroop Task.

resultsConsistent with previous research we show that inattention predicts internet addiction, and that this relationship is moderated by inhibitory control ability; the relationship between inattention and internet addiction strengthens as executive function impairment increases.

conclusionsThese results indicate that ADHD symptoms and executive function impairments interact in a way that leads to real-life consequences, even when there is no relationship between those symptoms and executive function performance. Furthermore, we show that no single online activity is responsible for the relationship between inattention and internet addiction, nor does inhibitory control ability determine which online activity participants engage in.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityBehavior, AddictiveInternetInternet Addiction DisorderAdolescentAdultExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansInhibition, PsychologicalMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultADHDInattentionInhibitionInternet addictionOnline activities

Identifiers

PMID40468217
PMCPMC12135584

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.