Internet Addiction, Problematic Internet Use
Conditions
Keywords
Problematic Internet Use, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Nepal, Undergraduate students, Group intervention, Internet Addiction
Brief summary
Problematic internet use, using the internet in ways that interfere with daily life, is a growing concern among university students in Nepal, where studies report prevalence rates between 21.5% and 35.4%. Despite this, structured, evidence-based intervention trials in Nepalese academic settings remain scarce. This study tested a six-session group program based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps people change unhelpful behaviors around internet use. Sessions lasted 90 minutes and were delivered weekly by supervised Master's-level psychology students who completed 40 hours of CBT training, which the makes the program affordable and scalable for university settings. Fifty-nine undergraduate students took part: 30 received the group program and 29 formed the comparison group. Both groups completed the Internet Addiction Test and the General Self-Efficacy Scale at five time points: before the program, immediately after, and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months later. Students in the program showed significantly greater reductions in internet addiction symptoms than the comparison group immediately after the program (p = .049) and at 1 month, where a large effect was observed (d = -0.83, p = .003). At 3 months, the difference between groups was no longer statistically significant because the comparison group also continued to improve; however, the program group maintained a large reduction from baseline (d = 1.18). Students in the program also showed a significant increase in self-efficacy that remained stable through every follow-up (all p \< .032). Adherence and acceptability were high: participants attended an average of 5.06 of 6 sessions, 80% attended at least 5 sessions, and satisfaction with the therapy reached 78.3% of the maximum possible score. These findings suggest that a structured, group-based CBT program is an effective and acceptable approach for managing problematic internet use among Nepalese undergraduates and offers a potentially scalable framework for academic institutions in low-resource settings.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGroup Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use
A six-session manualized group program for problematic internet use among Nepalese undergraduates delivered weekly in 90-minute sessions. Grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy, Young's CBT-IA model, and Davis's cognitive-behavioral model of pathological internet use. Sessions 1-2: orientation, psychoeducation, behavioral monitoring, and planning healthier internet habits (behavior modification). Session 3: cognitive restructuring. Sessions 4-5: harm reduction and emotional/psychological drivers of addiction. Session 6: relapse prevention and consolidation. Culturally adapted for Nepalese youth through multidisciplinary expert review (clinical psychologists, psychiatry, Ayurveda/Yoga, clinical psychology residents). Facilitated by two Master's-level psychology trainees after 40 hours of supervised CBT training by the project lead, with weekly supervision and a structured manual for fidelity.
Sponsors
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Non-equivalent control group design: participants were assigned to the experimental (group CBT) or control group based on availability for scheduled session times, with both groups assessed at the same five time points
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Undergraduate students enrolled at colleges affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal * Internet Addiction Test score above 30 (mild, moderate, or severe categories of problematic internet use) at Phase 1 screening * Willing to provide informed consent and to attend scheduled group sessions
Exclusion criteria
* IAT score of 30 or below at Phase 1 screening (did not meet inclusion criteria) * Declined to participate / unwilling to provide informed consent * Withdrawal before the first intervention session
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Addiction Test Score | Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (3-month follow-up) | 20-item Internet Addiction Test evaluating the severity of problematic internet use on a 0-5 Likert scale (Young, 1998); higher scores indicate more severe problematic internet use. In this study, scores ≥ 31 defined "mild" to "severe" problematic use. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General Self-Efficacy Scale Score | Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (3-month follow-up) | 10-item Nepali version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale assessing broad optimistic self-beliefs regarding general coping ability (Schwarzer et al., 1997); higher scores indicate greater general self-efficacy. Change from baseline was the analysis metric. |
Countries
Nepal
Contacts
STUDY_DIRECTORSuraj Shakya, PhD
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Outcome results
None listed