Abstract
BackgroundIn the last few years, excessive internet use and computer gaming have increased dramatically. Salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse have been defined as diagnostic criteria for internet addiction (IA) and computer addiction (CA) in the scientific community. Despite a growing number of individuals seeking help, there are no specific treatments of established efficacy.Methods/designThis clinical trial aims to determine the effect of the disorder-specific manualized short-term treatment of IA/CA (STICA). The cognitive behavioural treatment combines individual and group interventions with a total duration of 4 months. Patients will be randomly assigned to STICA treatment or to a wait list control group. Reliable and valid measures of IA/CA and co-morbid mental symptoms (for example social anxiety, depression) will be assessed prior to the beginning, in the middle, at the end, and 6 months after completion of treatment.DiscussionA treatment of IA/CA will establish efficacy and is desperately needed. As this is the first trial to determine efficacy of a disorder specific treatment, a wait list control group will be implemented. Pros and cons of the design were discussed.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials (NCT01434589)
Highlights
In the last few years, excessive internet use and computer gaming have increased dramatically
Empirical studies [4,8,9] have demonstrated that the symptom complex of internet addiction (IA)/computer addiction (CA) [10,11] matches the criteria of substance disorders
Outcomes The primary efficacy endpoint is defined as improvement of IA/CA rated by the patient himself
Summary
In the last few years, excessive internet use and computer gaming have increased dramatically. Mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse have been defined as diagnostic criteria for internet addiction (IA) and computer addiction (CA) in the scientific community. The onset of manifest addicted behavior is reported in the late 20s or According to Block [6], three subtypes of IA/computer game addiction (CA) (excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations, and email/text messaging) have four components in common: (a) excessive use (along with a loss of sense of time or the ignorance of basic drives); (b) withdrawal (for example tension, anger, agitation, and/or depression when access to a computer is blocked; (c) tolerance (increasing use or sophistication of computer equipment); and (d) negative repercussions (for example poor achievement/ performance, fatigue, social isolation, or conflicts). Mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse are additional diagnostic criteria for IA and CA [7]. The addicted individual is increasingly attracted towards the excessive behavior and life is emotionally and cognitively preoccupied with the application (for example computer game), requiring more and more time in order to regulate his mood states. Results of neurobiological studies have identified neurophysiological mechanisms in IA/CA equivalent to substance abuse (alcohol [12] and cannabis addiction [13])
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