Italian validation of the Instagram Addiction Scale and association with psychological distress, social media addiction, smartphone addiction, and internet use disorder

The problematic use of Instagram in the form of addiction has gained increasing credibility and attention in recent years, leading to the development of several psychometric instruments to assess the behavior. One recently developed tool is the 15-item Instagram Addiction Scale (IAS-15). The IAS-15 comprises two subscales assessing social effect and compulsion. In the present study, the IAS-15 was translated into Italian, and its reliability and validity were tested among 398 Italians (101 males, 297 females) aged 18 to 78 years (mean age M=37 years; SD=11). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor solution. Furthermore, the scale showed good internal consistency. Additionally, Instagram addiction was positively associated with social phobia, depression, anxiety, stress, social media addiction, smartphone addiction, and internet use disorder while being negatively associated with age, perceived quality of life, and quality of sleep. Based on the findings, the IAS-15 is a valid and reliable psychometric instrument to assess Instagram addiction among Italian adults.