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NCT Number: NCT07827703

Effects of Digital Detox on Mental Health in Young Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a short, self-guided program for cutting down smartphone screen time can reduce symptoms of depression in young adults. It includes students in Oslo, Norway, who have applied for help at the student mental health service (SiO Mental Health).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does a 2-week screen time reduction program reduce symptoms of depression? * Does it reduce symptoms of anxiety? * Can a simple, widely available phone app reduce screen time, and does the reduction last?

Researchers will compare students who start the program right away with students who continue their usual care for 2 weeks and receive the same program afterwards. Participants are placed in one of the two groups by chance, like flipping a coin.

Participants will:

* Answer questionnaires about depression and anxiety symptoms at the start and again after 2 weeks * Upload screenshots of the Screen Time summary on their iPhone at the start, after 2 weeks, and after 12 weeks * Install an app that blocks the apps they find most distracting and keep it active for 2 weeks, if they are placed in the program group * Take part entirely online, with no clinic visits and no contact with the study team

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Key information

Conditions

Anxiety Symptoms Anxiety Disorders Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Depressive Symptoms Mental Disorders Screen Time

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Has applied for care at SiO Mental Health, the student mental health service in Oslo, and has received the service's response to the application
  • Owns an iPhone (the screen time restriction tool requires iOS)
  • Able to understand written Norwegian
  • Provides informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

App-based smartphone screen time restriction program

Behavioral

Two-week self-guided use of an iOS screen time restriction app. Participants block their most distracting apps, with notifications disabled. Unlocking requires a 30-second delay, allows 10 minutes of access, then a 5-minute cooldown.

Primary outcomes

  1. Symptoms of depression (PHQ-9)

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 2 weeks

    Patient Health Questionnaire-9, range 0 to 27, higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7)

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 2 weeks

    Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, range 0 to 21, higher scores indicate more anxiety symptoms.

  2. Total smartphone screen time

    Time frame: 2 weeks and 12 weeks after randomization

  3. Smartphone screen time by app category

    Time frame: 2 weeks and 12 weeks after randomization

  4. Number of daily smartphone pickups

    Time frame: 2 weeks and 12 weeks after randomization

Other outcomes

  1. Self-reported changes in daily functioning and well-being

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Twelve single-item questions on perceived change over the past 2 weeks, each answered on a 5-point scale from 1 (much less than usual) to 5 (much more than usual). The domains are sleep, time spent with others, physical activity, time on other screens (computer, tablet), loneliness, satisfaction with oneself, rumination on negative thoughts, feeling of missing out, stress, ability to concentrate, satisfaction with own study effort, and getting done what one plans. Higher scores indicate more of the attribute than usual. Whether a higher score represents a better outcome depends on the domain.

  2. Adherence to the screen time restriction tool

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Self-reported proportion of the 2-week period with the blocking rule kept active, answered on a 5-level ordinal scale: all of the time, most of the time, part of the time, little of the time, none. Higher levels indicate greater adherence. Reported by the intervention group.

  3. Perceived usefulness and burden of the tool

    Time frame: 2 weeks and 12 weeks

    Perceived usefulness of the tool for reducing screen time and perceived burden in everyday life, each answered on a 5-point scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (to a very great extent), and a single question on intention to continue use (yes, no, do not know). Higher usefulness indicates a better outcome and higher burden a worse outcome. Reported by the intervention group at 2 weeks and by both groups at 12 weeks.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Thomas Mildestvedt, Professor

CONTACT

[email protected]

+47 55586163

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Bergen

Other

Collaborators

  • Studentsamskipnaden i Oslo (SiO)

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Digital Detox on Mental Health in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Sep 18, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 23, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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