The impact of “social media detox” on mental health: a randomized controlled trial

The impact of “social media detox” on mental health: a randomized controlled trial - SMD-MH

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00035887

Enrollment

150

Registered

2025-01-31

Start date

2025-09-15

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-04-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

high social media/smartphone use

Interventions

Group 1: Intervention group (experimental group 1): Receives the instruction to reduce social media use to one hour per day. Participants are given a fitness tracker to wear for the entire duration o

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

16 Years to 29 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: - Sufficient knowledge of German (school or training/work in German), - Ownership of a smartphone, - Use of social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok or Facebook for at least 4 hours a day

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: - Daily social media use of less than 4 hours, - Insufficient knowledge of German, which makes it impossible to understand the study, the content or the objective, - In ongoing psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment (self-disclosure)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
The change in EG1 and EG2 from t1 (before the intervention) to t2 (after the intervention) regarding: - stress, depressive symptoms and sleep quality - screening tools: Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-20), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
The change in EG1 and EG2 from t1 (before the intervention) to t2 (after the intervention) regarding: - social media use, smartphone addiction, activity, anxiety, well-being, attitude towards the body, eating disorder - screening tools: Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), Generalizied Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 8 (EDE-Q8), modified KiGGS questionnaire of the Robert Koch Institute taking into account the current recommendations of the World Health Organization on physical activity for adolescents and adults.	—

Measure

Time frame

The change in EG1 and EG2 from t1 (before the intervention) to t2 (after the intervention) regarding: - social media use, smartphone addiction, activity, anxiety, well-being, attitude towards the body, eating disorder - screening tools: Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), Generalizied Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 8 (EDE-Q8), modified KiGGS questionnaire of the Robert Koch Institute taking into account the current recommendations of the World Health Organization on physical activity for adolescents and adults.

—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactEmily Sitarski

Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm

emily.sitarski@uniklinik-ulm.de0173 - 3490293

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: May 1, 2026