A Psychotherapy Development Study for Internet Gaming

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) introduces Internet Gaming disorder (IGD) as a Substance-Related and Addictive Disorder in Section 3, Conditions for Further Study. Although research is in the nascent stages, existing studies demonstrate that IGD is associated with psychosocial distress including suicidality, and adverse vocational and educational outcomes in youth. Internet gaming disorder also shares substantial overlap with substance use, and it primarily affects adolescents, who rarely seek treatment on their own. Parents more often express concerns about their child's game playing behaviors, and data suggest that parents can have strong influences on it. This psychotherapy development study will evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and effect sizes of a behavioral intervention designed to help parents reduce gaming problems in their children. Sixty concerned parents and their children will complete parental and self-report inventories and structured diagnostic interviews regarding the child's gaming behaviors, substance use and psychosocial functioning. Participants will be randomized to either a control condition consisting of referral for mental health issues and family support services or to the same plus a 6-week family-based behavioral intervention designed to assist with better monitoring and regulating the child's game playing behaviors and encouraging and rewarding alternatives to game playing. Gaming and other problems will be assessed pre-treatment, mid-treatment, at the end of treatment, and at a 4-month follow-up. This study is unique in evaluating initial psychometric properties of a parental version of a measure that uses the DSM-5 criteria for IGD in a clinical sample, and it will also assess associations of IGD with substance use, psychological symptoms, and family functioning over time. Most importantly, this study will be the first randomized trial of an intervention designed to reduce gambling problems, and results are likely to guide future research and treatment efforts related to this condition.

Official Title
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A Psychotherapy Development Study for a New Addictive Disorder

Conditions
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Internet Gaming Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Referral for care
* Behavioral: Behavioral therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: parent/guardian of a 10-19 year old residing in the same household >8 months/year reports significant problems with game playing Exclusion Criteria: have a condition that may hinder study participation

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 10 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Referral for care<br>Referral for mental health issues and family support services | Behavioral: Referral for care<br>* referral for addictions support<br>|
| Experimental: Behavioral therapy<br>8-week behavioral intervention designed to assist with better monitoring and regulating the child's game playing behaviors | Behavioral: Referral for care<br>* referral for addictions support<br>Behavioral: Behavioral therapy<br>* therapy focused on monitoring gaming behavior and replacing it with other activities and communication skills<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Percentage of Participants Who Completed All 6 Sessions | Completion of sessions is an indicator of treatment acceptability and feasibility | 12 weeks | 
| Number of Days of Gaming in Past Week - Reported by Child | Number of days of game playing in past week is an indicator of severity of the gaming problem. | 12 weeks | 
| Number of Days of Gaming in the Past Week - Reported by Parent | Number of days of gaming is an indicator of the severity of the gaming problem. | 12 weeks | 
| Number of Symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder - Assessed Through a Clinical Interview With Child | Examines whether the treatment group showed greater reductions in symptoms of Internet gaming disorder than the control group. Ratings of Internet gaming disorder symptoms were assessed using a clinical interview with the child, conducted by trained assessors blind to treatment condition. | 12 weeks | 
| Number of Symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder - Assessed Through a Clinical Interview With Parent | Examines whether the treatment group showed greater reductions in symptoms of Internet gaming disorder than the control group. Ratings of Internet gaming disorder symptoms were assessed using a clinical interview with the parent, conducted by trained assessors blind to treatment condition. | 12 weeks |