Psychological Therapy for Gaming Disorder

NCT06018922 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2021-06666-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 68
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Gaming is a common leisure activity, both for children and adult, and while it is generally a positive experience for most, it can lead to problems for some individuals. There is currently a lack of knowledge of when video gaming becomes a problem and why, and there is a lack of evidence-based interventions for treating Gaming disorder. This pilot study aims to evaluate a new treatment manual for Gaming Disorder, which consists of modules based on cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy. The therapy can be provided as individual therapy to the patient, to relatives, or as family therapy involving both the patient and their relatives. This study is an effectiveness trials and will follow all-patients at the clinic who will be offered the treatment. The hypothesis is that the manual-based psychotherapy for Gaming Disorder will result in a reduction of Gaming Disorder symptoms and psychological distress, as well as an improvement in daily functioning.

Conditions

Gaming Disorder; Internet Gaming Disorder

Keywords

Gaming

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• The Gaming Disorder Test (GDT)

  Change in symptoms of Gaming Disorder Min: 4 Max: 20 A higher outcome means worse gaming problems

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

• Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF)

  Change in symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder. Min: 9 Max: 45 A higher outcome means worse gaming problems

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

• Time spent on gaming in the last week

  Change in time spent on gaming per week

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

• Time spent on gaming in the last week during the treatment

  Change in time spent on gaming per week during the treatment

  Once a week during the treatment period: (Post-assessment to Post-treatment) an average of 25 weeks

• Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure 34 (Core-OM 34)

  Change in self-report measure of psychological distress (for the the patients 16 years and older) Min: 0 Max: 136 A higher outcome means higher psychological distress

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

• The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) Youth

  Change in self-report measure of psychological distress (For children) a 47-item self-report questionnaire with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood. Min: 0 Max: 141 A higher outcome means higher psychological distress

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

• The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) Parent

  Change in self-report measure of psychological distress (For children) a parent 47-item questionnaire about their children with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood. Min: 0 Max: 141 A higher outcome means higher psychological distress

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

• The Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT)

  Change in a parent report measure of problematic gaming in adolescents (For children) Min: 0 Max: 35 A higher outcome means worse gaming problems

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

• The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

• Working Alliance Inventory 12 (WAI)

  Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

• Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - 16 item (Ders-16)

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

• Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale

  At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

Study Arms (1)

Psychological therapy for Gaming Disorder

EXPERIMENTAL

They will be offered a module-based psychological treatment that combines Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Family therapy (FT).

Behavioral: Psychological treatment

Interventions

Psychological treatment BEHAVIORAL

The treatment is module-based, and the clinician are supposed to choose a small number of modules to work with depending on the patients need. The individual CBT modules are: 1) Behavioral activation, 2) Accepting thought, 3) Emotion regulation, 4) Impulse control, 5) Procrastination, 6) Relationships, 7) Problem-solving skills, 8) Structuring everyday-life, 9) Diet-Exercise-Sleep, and 10) Social anxiety. The family therapy modules are: 1) Psychoeducation about gaming, 2) Encourage other activities, 3) Positive time together, 4) Expectations and the patients abilities, 5) Making agreements in the family, 6) Emotional validation, and 7) Conflict management.

Psychological therapy for Gaming Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Can read and speak Swedish fluidly.
• ≥ 13 years of age
• Are treatment seeking for problematic gaming or Gaming disorder

You may not qualify if:

• \- Somatic or psychiatric disease that is contraindicating or severely complicates the implementation of the intervention (e.g., ongoing psychotic, manic or hypomanic episode or neuropsychiatric condition with severe disability)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Region Skane: lead
• Lund University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Region Skåne

Malmo, Skåne County, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Bore P, Nilsson S, Andersson M, Oehm K, Attvall J, Hakansson A, Claesdotter-Knutsson E. Effectiveness and Acceptability of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family Therapy for Gaming Disorder: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Intervention Study of a Novel Psychological Treatment. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Aug 16;13:e56315. doi: 10.2196/56315.

  PMID: 39151165 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Internet Addiction Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Emma Claesdotter-Knutsson, MD; PHD

  Region Skåne

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 14, 2023
• First Posted: August 31, 2023
• Study Start: December 20, 2021
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2025
• Study Completion: August 31, 2025
• Last Updated: September 9, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: After publication of data
• Access Criteria: Not decided yet

Locations

SE (1)