Clinical trial NCT01434589: Effects of a Manualized Short-term Treatment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction
Official title: Effects of a Manualized Short-term Treatment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Addiction
Keywords: internet addiction
computer game addiction
STICA
short-term treatment
psychotherapy
internet and computer game addiction
Lead sponsor: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2011-09-15
Enrollment: 187
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 17
Maximum age (years): 55
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to 1) determine the efficacy of manualized Short-term Treatment of Internet and Computer game Addiction (STICA), assess 2) the durability of treatment response in these patients and 3) the impact on associated psychiatric symptoms, e.g. social anxiety and depression.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* clinical diagnosis of internet or computer game addiction
* internet or computer game addiction according to the AICA-Checklist(Assessment of Internet and Computer game addiction, expert Rating)
* a score \>/= 7 in the AICA-S (Assessment of Internet and Computer game addiction, Self Rating)
* patients with primary diagnoses of internet or computer game addiction
* if currently on psychotropic medications, no change in medications and dosages in the past 2 months and during STICA treatment
* if currently off all psychotropic medications, patient has been off at least 4 weeks
* at least 4 weeks off from last psychotherapy and no other ongoing psychotherapy

Exclusion Criteria:

* current Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) \< 40
* severe major depression (BDI-II Score \>/= 29)
* current alcohol or drug addictions
* personality disorders: borderline, antisocial, schizoid and schizotypal
* lifetime diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar or organic mental disorder
* current unstable medical illness

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in internet or computer game addiction (self-rating)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change/Remission of internet or computer game addiction (expert rating)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
measure: Preoccupation with critical internet applications or computer games (hours per week)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
measure: Improvement of negative consequences (e.g. social communication, psychosocial well being)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
measure: Improvement of depressive symptoms (changes in BDI-II)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
measure: Improvement of social fear and avoidance (changes in Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
measure: Improvement of Expectances of self-efficacy (Changes in Assessment of Self-Efficacy)
timeFrame: 4 and 10 months after randomization
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Vienna
country: Austria
facility: Anton Proksch Insitut, Therapy Centre for the Treatment of Addictions
city: Mainz
country: Germany
facility: University Medical Center Mainz, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Outpatient clinic for behavioral addictions
city: Mannheim
country: Germany
facility: Central Insitute for Mental Health
city: Tübingen
country: Germany
facility: University Medical Center Tübingen
Study officials:
affiliation: University Medical Center Mainz, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy
name: M. E. Beutel, Prof. Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Wolfling K, Muller KW, Beutel M. [Reliability and validity of the Scale for the Assessment of Pathological Computer-Gaming (CSV-S)]. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2011 May;61(5):216-24. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1263145. Epub 2010 Sep 27. German.
citation: Wolfling K, Muller KW, Dreier M, Ruckes C, Deuster O, Batra A, Mann K, Musalek M, Schuster A, Lemenager T, Hanke S, Beutel ME. Efficacy of Short-term Treatment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Oct 1;76(10):1018-1025. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1676.
citation: Jager S, Muller KW, Ruckes C, Wittig T, Batra A, Musalek M, Mann K, Wolfling K, Beutel ME. Effects of a manualized short-term treatment of internet and computer game addiction (STICA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2012 Apr 27;13:43. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-13-43.