Can Mindfulness and Self-monitoring Improve Control Over Maladaptive Daydreaming?

NCT05235243 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 035/18
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 697
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a compulsive form of daydreaming that causes distress and functional impairment among tens of thousands of self-diagnosed sufferers. This is the first controlled treatment trial for MD. The investigators built an internet-based self-help program for MD and tested the effectiveness of mindfulness and self-monitoring in improving control over MD, comparing three groups across three measurement points in time.

Conditions

Internet-Based Intervention; Psychological Intervention; Intervention Study

Keywords

maladaptive daydreaming; immersive daydreaming; absorption; dissociation; behavioral addiction; compulsive behavior; RCT

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change from baseline in maladaptive daydreaming

  Change in the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) compared to baseline, measured 2 months and 6 months post-intervention. The MDS-16 is the primary self-report scale that gauges maladaptive daydreaming on a 10-point Likert scale. Scores range from 0 to 100, with the mean score of 40 set as an evidence-based cut-off score for clinical-level MD. Higher scores indicate an elevated level of maladaptive daydreaming, hence, a worse outcome.

  Baseline, post, and follow-up (8 month total)

• Change from baseline in daydreaming frequency

  Change in the Daydreaming Frequency Scale (DDFS) compared to baseline, measured 2 months and 6 months post-intervention. The DDFS is a 12-item subscale of the Imaginal Processes Inventory, gauging reported daydreaming frequency. Items are marked on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 12 to 60. Higher scores indicate an elevated frequency of daydreaming, hence, a worse outcome.

  Baseline, post, and follow-up (8 month total)

• Change from baseline in work and social adjustment

  Change in the Daydreaming Work and Social Adjustment Scale (DWSAS) compared to baseline, measured 2 months and 6 months post-intervention. The DWSAS is a 6-item measure assessing adjustment and disfunction in relation to daydreaming. Items are ranked on a 9-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 8. The DWSAS scores range from 0 to 48. A score of 12 or lower indicates "no pathology and disfunction". Scores between 12 and 24 indicate "pathology and impaired function", while scores of 24 or above suggest "severe pathology and impaired function".

  Baseline, post, and follow-up (8 month total)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change from baseline in psychiatric symptoms

  Baseline, post, and follow-up (8 month total)

• Change from baseline in intervention outcome

  Baseline, post, and follow-up (8 month total)

Other Outcomes (3)

• Change from baseline mindful attention awareness

  Baseline, post, and follow-up (8 month total)

• The Feedback Questionnaire

  Post-intervention, and follow-up (6 month total)

• The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire

  Baseline (1 day)

Study Arms (3)

The Full Intervention (FI) group

EXPERIMENTAL

The full intervention (FI) group received a psycho-education module about MD and its addictive behavior mechanism, a motivation enhancement module based on motivational interviewing, mindfulness modules, and self-monitoring modules.

Other: Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness and self-monitoring

The partial intervention (PI) group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The partial intervention (PI) group received an intervention identical to the FI group (a psycho-education module about MD and its addictive behavior mechanism, a motivation enhancement module based on motivational interviewing, mindfulness modules) with the exclusion of the self-monitoring modules.

Other: Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness

Waiting List (WL) group

NO INTERVENTION

Waiting List (WL) group did not undergo any intervention during the study period. However, WL participants were told that the program will commence in three months. During their waiting time participants were instructed to reduce their daydreaming activity to the best of their ability. Since all participants were recruited for this study from an online support forum (that is not part of this research design), the investigators labeled WL as the Internet Support as Usual (ISAU) group.

Interventions

Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness and self-monitoring OTHER

An 8-weeks internet-based self-guided intervention program, accompanied by e-mail. The content of the intervention and training modules comprised texts, illustrations, explanatory video and audio lectures, as well as interactive worksheets embedded in each week's lesson. Typically, a lesson started with a textual description of its target and duration. Then, participants received a summary of what had been taught thus far, and finally, a novel technique or skill was introduced. Each lesson required about 60 minutes to complete. Users had open access to web pages of previous lessons. Upon completion of each lesson, participants received a list of home assignments to practice during the following week. Our internet-based program featured a notification and download center containing the program's materials and pertinent messages from the researchers.

Also known as: Maladaptive daydreaming treatment program (MDTP)

The Full Intervention (FI) group

Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness OTHER

An 8-weeks internet-based self-guided intervention program, accompanied by e-mail. The content of the intervention and training modules comprised texts, illustrations, explanatory video and audio lectures, as well as interactive worksheets embedded in each week's lesson. Typically, a lesson started with a textual description of its target and duration. Then, participants received a summary of what had been taught thus far, and finally, a novel technique or skill was introduced. Each lesson required about 60 minutes to complete. Users had open access to web pages of previous lessons. Upon completion of each lesson, participants received a list of home assignments to practice during the following week. Our internet-based program featured a notification and download center containing the program's materials and pertinent messages from the researchers.

Also known as: Maladaptive daydreaming treatment program lite (MDTP)

The partial intervention (PI) group

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Age above 18 years
• MD diagnosis
• Not being in any concurrent treatment for MD
• English fluent
• Daily access to the internet, and to a device with internet access
• Give informed consent to the study
• Respondents who reported being on a stable dose of medication for at least three months could take part in the study provided that they did not change their dosages while participating in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Age under 18 years
• No MD diagnosis
• In concurrent psychology therapy for MD
• Not fluent in English
• Not having a daily internet access
• Taking medication for less than three months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Haifa: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Haifa

Haifa, 3498838, Israel

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dissociative Disorders; Compulsive Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Oren Herscu, PhD

  School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel

  STUDY CHAIR

• Eli Somer, PhD

  School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Nirit Soffer-Dudek, PhD

  Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

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

Model Details: An RCT in a double-blind setting comparing three groups across three measurement points in time (baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 19, 2022
• First Posted: February 11, 2022
• Study Start: December 20, 2018
• Primary Completion: February 3, 2020
• Study Completion: February 28, 2021
• Last Updated: February 11, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IL (1)