Network Analysis of Internet Addiction Symptoms Among a Clinical Sample of Japanese Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

In the present study, we employed network analysis that conceptualizes internet addiction (IA) as a complex network of mutually influencing symptoms in 108 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to examine the network architecture of IA symptoms and identify central/influential symptoms. Our analysis revealed that defensive and secretive behaviors and concealment of internet use were identified as central symptoms in this population, suggesting that mitigating these symptoms potentially prevent the development and/or maintenance of IA in adolescents with ASD. Providing adolescents and their caregivers with psychoeducation on the role of central symptoms above in IA can be a salient intervention. Doing so may facilitate nonconflicting conversations between them about adolescents’ internet use and promote more healthy adolescents’ internet use behavior.