Effects of a manualized Short-term treatment of Internet and Computer game Addiction (STICA)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Manfred E. Beutel
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2011 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 186399433

Clinically relevant Internet and Computer game use has increased dramatically in the last few years. A set of diagnostic criteria has been commonly accepted for lnternet Addiction in the scientific community: Salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict and relapse, mirroring the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence. However, a mismatch exists between high rates of individual seeking treatment for Internet and Computer game Addiction and a paucity of clinical treatment studies for this specific disorder. Therefore, there is a strong need for disorder-specific intervention programs, providing patients - mostly male adolescents and young adults - with an appropriate and efficient treatment. The proposed clinical trial aims at measuring the effects of a unique manualized Short-term treatment of Internet and Computer game Addiction (STICA), combining individual and group interventions based on cognitive behavioral therapy. Treatment seeking patients will be randomly allocated either to STICA or to a wait list control condition. Outcome measures include the change in status of primary diagnosis and associated co-morbid psychiatric symptoms (e.g. social anxiety, depression) from pre- to post-treatment. Furthermore, durability of treatment response will be assessed at follow-up.

• DFG Programme: Clinical Trials