The Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) for adolescents and young adults: Scale development and refinement

•Factor analysis of the item pool yielded a 3-factor, 18-item model.•There are 3 subscales: Emotional Impairment, Social Impairment, Risky/Impulsive Internet Use.•Focus group review support for both face validity and content validity.•The PRIUSS is a theoretically-grounded screening instrument for adolescent and young adult PIU.

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is a growing health concern among adolescents and young adults. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to develop and refine a theoretically-grounded and psychometrically-validated assessment instrument for PIU specifically tailored to adolescents and young adults. An item pool was developed using concept mapping and a review of the literature, and administered to 714 students from two universities between 18 and 25 years of age. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used in a development subsample (n = 500) to construct the scale. A cross-validation sample (n = 214) was used to confirm the scale’s reliability. The Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) is an 18-item scale with three subscales: Social Impairment, Emotional Impairment, and Risky/Impulsive Internet Use. Based on its strong theoretical foundation and promising psychometric performance, the PRIUSS may be a valuable tool for screening and prevention efforts in this population.