Internet Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Procrastination: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01842945

Enrollment

150

Registered

2013-04-30

Start date

2013-08-31

Completion date

2014-05-31

Last updated

2017-03-07

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

Conditions

Procrastination

Keywords

Procrastination, internet based cognitive behavior therapy, randomized controlled trial

Brief summary

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for procrastination, and to investigate whether it can be delivered via the Internet. Two treatment groups will be used, one with therapist contact and one without, as well as a wait-list control group. It is assumed that the treatment group with therapist contact will be superior to the treatment group receiving no therapist contact since procrastination can be partially explained as a self-regulatory failure. Both treatment groups are presumed to be superior to the wait-list control.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALInternet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) without therapist contact.

The iCBT consists of our structured self-help program lasting a total of eight active treatment weeks and does not include a therapist contact.

BEHAVIORALInternet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) with therapist contact.

The iCBT consists of our structured self-help program lasting a total of eight active treatment weeks and includes a therapist contact.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Primary difficulties are caused by chronic and severe procrastination * Swedish residency * Fluent in Swedish * Computer with internet access

Exclusion criteria

* Ongoing psychotherapy * Ongoing psychotropic medication (unless stabilized for three months) * Severe depression (\> 30 points on MADRS-S) * Suicidal ideation * Misuse of drugs or alcohol * Bipolar disorder * Schizophrenia or psychosis

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Change from baseline in Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)	0 weeks and 10 weeks	The PPS features twelve items measuring the prevalence of procrastination.
Change from baseline in Susceptibility to Temptation Scale (STS)	0 weeks and 10 weeks	The STS features eleven items measuring the susceptibility to temptation, which can affect the ability to follow through a task or commitment.
Change from baseline in Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)	0 weeks and weekly during treatment period of 10 weeks	The IPS features nine items measuring the degree of irrational delay causing procrastination.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Change from baseline in Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale Self-report version (MADRS-S)	0 weeks and 10 weeks	MADRS-S is a self-assessment version of MADRS and features nine items measuring changes in mood, anxiety, sleeping patterns, appetite, concentration, initiative, emotional engagement, pessimism and attitude towards life.
Change from baseline in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment 7-item (GAD-7)	0 weeks and 10 weeks	GAD-7 features seven items for assessing anxiety and screening for generalized anxiety disorder.
Change from baseline in Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI)	0 weeks and 10 weeks	QOLI features 32 items concerning 16 areas of life rated by the subject concerning importance and satisfaction.

Countries

Sweden

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 18, 2026