Reducing Internet Gaming

NCT02726880 | Completed Results DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 16-114-3P50DA009241
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders includes in its research appendix a potential new diagnosis-Internet gaming disorder. This condition primarily affects adolescent boys and young adult men, who rarely seek treatment on their own. More often, parents express concerns about their child's game playing behaviors. This psychotherapy development study will evaluate feasibility and effect sizes of an intervention designed to help parents reduce their child's gaming problems; the intervention allows for child participation, but it is geared toward parents, regardless of whether or not their child is willing to participate. A total of 40 parents concerned about their child's gaming behaviors will complete self and parental report inventories and structured diagnostic interviews regarding gaming, substance use and psychosocial functioning. Children who elect to participate will complete parallel versions of the instruments. Participants will be randomized to a control condition consisting of referral for mental health issues and family support services or to a 6-week behavioral intervention designed to assist with better monitoring and regulating the child's game playing behaviors. Gaming and other problems will be assessed pre-treatment, at the end of treatment and at a 4-month follow-up. This study will be the first to evaluate the reliability and validity of a parental version of the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders criteria for internet gaming disorder in a clinical sample, and it will assess associations of internet gaming disorder with substance use, mental health conditions, and family functioning as well. This study will be the first randomized trial of an intervention designed to assist parents in reducing their child's gaming problems, and results will help guide future development of interventions for Internet gaming disorder. To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention, the proportion of parents assigned to the intervention who complete 6 sessions will be examined, as will the proportion of youth who attend the sessions. Parent and child ratings of satisfaction with the intervention will be assessed. To examine the effect size of the intervention on reducing gaming, parental reports of proportion of days on which their child played games and durations of game playing will be compared between conditions, controlling for baseline indices.

Conditions

Internet Gaming Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Percentage of Participants Who Complete All 6 Sessions

  Completion of sessions is an indicator of treatment acceptability and feasibility

  12 weeks

• Number of Days of Gaming in the Past Week - Reported by Parent

  Number of days of gaming is an indicator of the severity of the gaming problem.

  12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Referral for care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Referral for care

Behavioral therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Behavioral therapy

Interventions

Behavioral therapy BEHAVIORAL

6-week behavioral intervention designed to assist with better monitoring and regulating the child's game playing behaviors.

Behavioral therapy

Referral for care BEHAVIORAL

Referral for mental health issues and family support services

Referral for care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• parent/guardian of a 10-22 year old residing in the same household \>8 months/year
• reports significant problems with game playing

You may not qualify if:

• have a condition that may hinder study participation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• UConn Health: lead
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

UConn Health

Farmington, Connecticut, 06030, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Internet Addiction Disorder

Interventions

Behavior Therapy; Referral and Consultation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Technology Addiction; Behavior, Addictive; Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Professional Practice; Organization and Administration; Health Services Administration

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Kristyn Zajac, PhD
• Organization: UConn Health

zajac@uchc.edu

860-679-8572

Study Officials

• Kristyn Zajac, Ph.D.

  UConn Health

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 31, 2016
• First Posted: April 4, 2016
• Study Start: June 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2020
• Study Completion: December 1, 2020
• Last Updated: January 28, 2022
• Results First Posted: January 28, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)