Background The advent of COVID-19 worldwide has led to consequences for people’s health, both physical and psychological, such as fear and anxiety. This is the case in Italy, one of the countries most affected by the pandemic. Given the heightened fear concerning COVID-19 in Italy., the present study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Methods The sample comprised 250 Italian participants who were administered Italian versions of the FCV-19S, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Severity Measure for Specific Phobia–Adult (SMSP-A). Several psychometric tests were performed to investigate the validity and reliability of the test including confirmatory factor analysis. Results Analysis of the data showed satisfactory psychometric characteristics and confirmed the scale’s unidimensional properties. The seven FCV-19S items had acceptable correlations with the test total (from .443 to .784). Furthermore, the loadings on the factor were significant and strong (from .684 to .897). The internal consistency was very good (α = .871). Construct validity for the FCV-19S was supported by significant and positive correlations with the HADS (r=.649) and SMSP-A (r=.703). Conclusions The Italian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale is valid and reliable in assessing fear of COVID-19 among the general Italian population.

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is consistently associated with problematic social media use (PSMU). Moreover, previous studies have shown a significant association between FoMO, self-esteem, and social comparison. However, there is a lack of studies that have investigated the relationship between, FoMO, social comparison, self-esteem, and PSMU in an integrated model. The present study hypothesized that FoMO may influence PSMU through the serial mediating role of social comparison and self-esteem. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted comprising 256 Italian university students (74.4% female), aged 18 to 38 years (M = 23.05 years; SD = 3.58). The participants completed an online survey assessing the variables of the study. Controlling for age and gender, the results showed positive associations between FoMO, social comparison, and PSMU, and a negative association between FoMO and self-esteem. Self-esteem was also negatively associated with PSMU. It was also found that social comparison and self-esteem sequentially mediated the association between FoMO and PSMU. The present study contributes to understanding the mechanisms that underline the complex effects of FoMO on PSMU.

Low life satisfaction has often been associated with problematic social media use (PSMU), problematic smartphone use (PSU), FoMO and psychological distress. However, no studies have analyzed the relationship between life satisfaction, PSMU, PSU, FoMO, and psychological distress, in an integrated model. The present study hypothesized that life satisfaction may influence PSMU and PSU through the role of FoMO and psychological distress. A cross-sectional survey completed by 537 Italians (82.9% females [ n = 445] and 17.1% males [ n = 92], mean age = 35.35 years [SD ± 12.14]), included the Satisfaction With Life Scale, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and Fear of Missing Out Scale. The results indicated direct negative associations between life satisfaction and both PSMU and PSU. Additionally, the findings indicated that both FoMO and psychological distress acted as full mediators in this complex relationship, suggesting that problematic technology use may be driven by emotional vulnerabilities such as fear of social exclusion and heightened levels of psychological distress. The present study contributes to understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between life satisfaction, fear of missing out, psychological distress, and problematic technology use, offering insights for potential interventions aimed at reducing the negative impact of technology on well-being.

The aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS; Csibi et al., International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 16, 393–403, 2018), a short and easy to use six-item tool for screening the risk of addiction to smartphone-based applications. A further goal was to explore the impact on smartphone addiction of several variables related to smartphone use habits, perceived quality of life, and sociability measures. The data were collected online from 205 Italian-speaking volunteers (128 males and 77 females aged 18 to 99 years). The psychometric instruments included in the study were the SABAS and the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). Psychometric testing showed that the six items included in the SABAS comprised a unidimensional factor with good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .890). Therefore, the SABAS appears to be a reliable instrument to assess the risk of addiction to smartphone apps. Moreover, longer daily time spent using the smartphone was found to be positively correlated with the total SABAS and NMP-Q scores, while perceived quality of life and self-reported sociability were found to be negatively correlated with such scores.

Social media use, and specifically Facebook use, has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Despite the many benefits of social networking, a small minority of individuals appear to develop issues surrounding social media use, and more specifically Facebook use. It has, therefore, led some scholars to describe such problematic activity as a behavioral addiction. Such problematic behaviors have been reported in many countries including Italy. The present study validated and examined the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) by conducting a psychometric examination among an Italian sample of adults (n = 217; aged 18 to 68 years). Internal reliability was examined using various indicators, including Cronbach’s α, which was excellent (α = 0.94). Results indicated that Facebook addiction was significantly correlated with social media addiction, smartphone addiction, narcissism, depression, and self-esteem. The results of the present study support the use of the Italian version of the BFAS in research and confirms the uni-dimensional nature of the single factor proposed by the original authors.

Objectives: Problematic gaming has become a phenomenon of growing clinical relevance due to its negative impact on life and mental health outcomes. Much research has been carried out on its complex aetiology, and some studies have suggested that dispositional mindfulness, mind wandering, attentional control, and maladaptive personality traits may play some role, but they have never been included in the same prediction model. This study used Gaussian graphical models and Bayesian networks to investigate the pattern of association of these constructs and of background and gaming-related variables with problematic gaming in a sample of adult gamers. Method: Participants (n = 506) were administered an online survey comprising a questionnaire on background and gaming-related variables and the Gaming Disorder Test, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15, the Mind Wandering-Spontaneous and Deliberate scales, the Attention Control-Distraction and Shifting scales, and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form. Results: Gaussian graphical models showed that problematic gaming was directly associated with Acting with Awareness, Disinhibition, Psychoticism, playing more than 30 hr a week, ability level, and playing strategy games. Bayesian networks indicated that the occurrence of high levels of problematic gaming directly depended on the presence of low scores on Acting with Awareness. Conclusions: The results suggest that one key feature of problematic gamers can be a high level of spontaneous thinking, either in the form of mind wandering or in the lack of Acting with Awareness, while maladaptive personality traits and attentional control seem to play a less central role.