Clinical trial NCT03582839: Effects of an Internet Use Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder Early Intervention Program
Official title: Effects of an Internet Use Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder Early Intervention Program
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Disorder
Lead sponsor: Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Heidelberg University
First posted: 2018-07-11
Enrollment: 54
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 9
Maximum age (years): 19
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Background. In the last two decades Internet usage has grown vastly. Pathological Internet usage (IUD; Internet Use Disorder) is associated with severe mental health problems affecting social, academic and daily life functioning. Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been already included in the DSM-V. Recently, the WHO declared to include Gaming Disorder (GD) in the upcoming ICD-11. Despite the increasing rates of adolescents with IUD and (I)GD, affected people are treated unsystematically and there is a lack of evidence based treatment programs. PROTECT+ is a low-threshold, cognitive behavioral short-term group intervention.

Methods. 54 patients, aged 9-19 years, received PROTECT+ intervention in Heidelberg, Germany. The PROTECT+ intervention group underwent a cognitive-behavioral 4-session group therapy. Follow-up data were collected at 1, 4, and 12 months after admission. Primary outcome was the change in (I)GD and IUD related symptoms at the 12-months follow-up. Secondary outcomes were changes in comorbid symptoms as well as in problem solving, cognitive restructuring and emotion regulation skills

Discussion. Treatment of IUD and IGD is still in its early stages. Recent reviews report increasing research on treatment but also a lack of well-designed studies and evidence based treatment programs. The PROTECT+ intervention is a theory driven and evidence based therapy program which is based on the PROTECT preventive intervention in school settings. In the intervention group a reduction of (I)GD and IUD symptom severity is expected over 12 months.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Adolescents aged 9 to 19 years Self-selection

Exclusion Criteria:

Severe comorbid mental health disorder

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in IUD symptom severity (self-report)
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Changes in (I)GD/IUD symptom severity (self-report and parental report)
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Changes in (I)GD/IUD symptom severity (Clinical Interview based on DSM-5)
timeFrame: 12-months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Emotion Regulation
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Depressive Symptoms
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Comorbid emotional, oppositional, antisocial and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorders
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Anxiety Disorders: Social Anxiety
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Anxiety Disorders: Performance and School Anxiety
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Procrastination
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Social Behavior and Learning Behavior
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
measure: Self-Efficacy
timeFrame: baseline, 1 month, 4-months, 12-months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Institut für Psychologie der Pädagogischen Hochschule Heidelberg
name: Katajun Lindenberg, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Szasz-Janocha C, Vonderlin E, Lindenberg K. Treatment outcomes of a CBT-based group intervention for adolescents with Internet use disorders. J Behav Addict. 2020 Nov 16;9(4):978-989. doi: 10.1556/2006.2020.00089.