Addiction
Conditions
Keywords
internet addiction, computer game addiction, STICA, short-term treatment, psychotherapy, internet and computer game addiction
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.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSTICA Intervention
Manualized Short-term Treatment for Internet and Computer game Addiction (STICA) based on cognitive behavior-therapy (combining individual and group therapy)
Sponsors
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
17 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
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
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in internet or computer game addiction (self-rating) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Preoccupation with critical internet applications or computer games (hours per week) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
| Improvement of negative consequences (e.g. social communication, psychosocial well being) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
| Change/Remission of internet or computer game addiction (expert rating) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
| Improvement of social fear and avoidance (changes in Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
| Improvement of Expectances of self-efficacy (Changes in Assessment of Self-Efficacy) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
| Improvement of depressive symptoms (changes in BDI-II) | 4 and 10 months after randomization |
Countries
Austria, Germany
Outcome results
None listed