March 3, 2026Open Access

Validation of the DSM-5 internet gaming disorder framework for clinical diagnosis of problematic social media usage

Key Points

Empirical evidence supports using DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing problematic usage of social media (PUSM).
The 'deception' criterion shows weak diagnostic performance, indicating a need for further validation.
Conceptual and symptomatic similarities exist between problematic usage of social media and internet gaming disorder.
Proposal for a unified behavioral addiction framework that includes both problematic usage of social media and internet gaming disorder.

Abstract

This study provides empirical support for adopting the DSM-5 IGD diagnostic criteria as a standardized clinical tool for assessing PUSM. However, the "deception" criterion requires further validation due to its weak diagnostic performance. The findings further confirm the conceptual and symptomatic homogeneity between PUSM and IGD, supporting their classification within a unified behavioral addiction framework.

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Cite This Study

Xie et al. (Sun,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a76567badf0bb9e87d9000 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2026.100673

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