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Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT05917977

Collective Motivational Interviewing (CMI) for Adolescents With Internet Gaming Disorder

The present study examines the efficacy of CMI in reducing adolescent IGD symptoms and enhancing social support given by CSOs among adolescents with high risk of IGD (probable IGD cases screened positive by validated tools). It is hypothesized that the intervention group (with CMI plus IGD education materials for both the clients and his/her selected CSO) would show more improvements in reduction in the severity of IGD, motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour, craving on gaming, and social support obtained from CSOs than to the control group (only educational materials for both the client and the CSOs).

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Internet Gaming Disorder Behavior Behavior, Addictive Compulsive Behavior Impulsive Behavior Internet Addiction Disorder Technology Addiction

Age range

10 year–16 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Hong Kong College of Technology

Shatin, Hong Kong

About this study

This study adopts a randomized controlled efficacy study with an open-label parallel-group design. The trial will be registered by the WHO's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform once the project is approved. Research participants will be recruited from the primary and secondary schools, and youth social services. After completing the screening process, research participants who are confirmed to fit the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to the intervention group with CMI intervention plus IGD education materials to both adolescents with IGD and their CSO or the control group with IGD education materials alone. The present study sets four-time points to track the change in the between-group difference of the primary and secondary outcomes from the baseline (T0) to post-intervention (T1), 3-month follow-up (T2), and 6-month follow-up (T3).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

for Adolescents:

  • Aged between 10-16
  • Probable IGD condition screened by the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) reaching the cut-off value at 21, those at high risk of having IGD but no IGD cases with clinical diagnosis, although the symptoms measured by IGDS9-SF are equivalent to DSM-5 IGD criteria)
  • Hong Kong ID card holder
  • Chinese speaking
  • Student identity
  • Possessing an electronic mobile device or computer
  • Willingness to participate in the intervention/control group and complete four surveys (baseline, post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up)
  • Can nominate a CSO (e.g., parents) [client's autonomy is a critical factor to facilitate motivation posited by the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2020) (9) to obtain informed consent and parental consent

Inclusion criteria

for CSO:

  • Aged greater than 18 years
  • Having a close relationship with the adolescent with probable IGD (as rated by participants being generally supportive of the participants)
  • Being willing to participate in the present study and provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

for Adolescents:

  • Participants who have psychiatric problems such as psychosis, significant cognitive impairment and/or receiving active and structured psychotherapy about IGD elsewhere will be excluded (Nielsen et al., 2021).

Exclusion criteria

for CSO:

  • Participants who have psychosis, aggressive or suicidal behavior
  • Having life-threatening medical conditions

Treatment and study plan

Collective Motivational Interviewing plus Education Materials

Behavioral

The participants in the intervention group will receive IGD educational materials as well as four counseling sessions of CMI intervention.

Control group (Education Materials)

Other

The participants in the control group will receive IGD educational materials.

Primary outcomes

  1. Severity of IGD

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Severity of IGD at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    The nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) are used to detect the change in the severity of IGD. It is the first brief standardized psychometric tool of IGD based on the nine DSM-5 IGD criteria. This instrument has been translated into 15 languages and is widely used in research and clinical settings. In addition, a validated Chinese version with satisfactory psychometric properties is available (Qin et al., 2020). The items were rated by using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never to 5 = Very often).

  2. Severity of IGD

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Severity of IGD at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    The nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) are used to detect the change in the severity of IGD. It is the first brief standardized psychometric tool of IGD based on the nine DSM-5 IGD criteria. This instrument has been translated into 15 languages and is widely used in research and clinical settings. In addition, a validated Chinese version with satisfactory psychometric properties is available (Qin et al., 2020). The items were rated by using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never to 5 = Very often).

  3. Severity of IGD

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Severity of IGD at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    The nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) are used to detect the change in the severity of IGD. It is the first brief standardized psychometric tool of IGD based on the nine DSM-5 IGD criteria. This instrument has been translated into 15 languages and is widely used in research and clinical settings. In addition, a validated Chinese version with satisfactory psychometric properties is available (Qin et al., 2020). The items were rated by using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never to 5 = Very often).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    Contemplation Ladder for Internet Gaming (CL-LG), which is derived from the Contemplation Ladder measure the motivation to quit smoking (Biener & Abrams, 1991), are employed. Contemplation Ladder for drug use problems is commonly used in clinical settings and research in Hong Kong (Siu et al., 2018). The instrument measures the motivation to abstain from maladaptive gaming behaviors based on a single brief option of 11 rungs and five types of statements. The instrument is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with each point representing a specific statement showing a corresponding stage of change. The ladder has been used in smoking cessation studies, which displayed strong reliability and validity with strong intercorrelations (Pearson's r = .82 - .98) (Rustin & Tate, 1993).

  2. Motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    Contemplation Ladder for Internet Gaming (CL-LG), which is derived from the Contemplation Ladder measure the motivation to quit smoking (Biener & Abrams, 1991), are employed. Contemplation Ladder for drug use problems is commonly used in clinical settings and research in Hong Kong (Siu et al., 2018). The instrument measures the motivation to abstain from maladaptive gaming behaviors based on a single brief option of 11 rungs and five types of statements. The instrument is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with each point representing a specific statement showing a corresponding stage of change. The ladder has been used in smoking cessation studies, which displayed strong reliability and validity with strong intercorrelations (Pearson's r = .82 - .98) (Rustin & Tate, 1993).

  3. Motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Motivation to change maladaptive gaming behaviour at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    Contemplation Ladder for Internet Gaming (CL-LG), which is derived from the Contemplation Ladder measure the motivation to quit smoking (Biener & Abrams, 1991), are employed. Contemplation Ladder for drug use problems is commonly used in clinical settings and research in Hong Kong (Siu et al., 2018). The instrument measures the motivation to abstain from maladaptive gaming behaviors based on a single brief option of 11 rungs and five types of statements. The instrument is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with each point representing a specific statement showing a corresponding stage of change. The ladder has been used in smoking cessation studies, which displayed strong reliability and validity with strong intercorrelations (Pearson's r = .82 - .98) (Rustin & Tate, 1993).

  4. Craving for Internet Gaming

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Craving for Internet Gaming at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    Craving for Internet Gaming Scale (CIGS) is used to measure respondents' intensity, frequency, duration of their craving, and capability to resist acting on their craving for a particular period of time. It comprises five-item, scoring from 0 to 6 for each item. Respondents with higher scores tend to have higher levels of gaming craving (Cronbach's alpha was .88-.91) (Savci & Griffiths, 2019).

  5. Craving for Internet Gaming

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Craving for Internet Gaming at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    Craving for Internet Gaming Scale (CIGS) is used to measure respondents' intensity, frequency, duration of their craving, and capability to resist acting on their craving for a particular period of time. It comprises five-item, scoring from 0 to 6 for each item. Respondents with higher scores tend to have higher levels of gaming craving (Cronbach's alpha was .88-.91) (Savci & Griffiths, 2019).

  6. Craving for Internet Gaming

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Craving for Internet Gaming at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    Craving for Internet Gaming Scale (CIGS) is used to measure respondents' intensity, frequency, duration of their craving, and capability to resist acting on their craving for a particular period of time. It comprises five-item, scoring from 0 to 6 for each item. Respondents with higher scores tend to have higher levels of gaming craving (Cronbach's alpha was .88-.91) (Savci & Griffiths, 2019).

  7. Social support from CSO

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Social support from CSO at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    The 4-item significant other subscales of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) will be used. It is a self-reporting instrument designed for assessing the level of perceived social support from significant others. The items are scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 7 (very strongly agree). The Cantonese version has demonstrated a high internal consistency coefficient with a Cronbach's alpha of .89 (Chou, 2000).

  8. Social support from CSO

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Social support from CSO at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    The 4-item significant other subscales of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) will be used. It is a self-reporting instrument designed for assessing the level of perceived social support from significant others. The items are scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 7 (very strongly agree). The Cantonese version has demonstrated a high internal consistency coefficient with a Cronbach's alpha of .89 (Chou, 2000).

  9. Social support from CSO

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Social support from CSO at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    The 4-item significant other subscales of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) will be used. It is a self-reporting instrument designed for assessing the level of perceived social support from significant others. The items are scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 7 (very strongly agree). The Cantonese version has demonstrated a high internal consistency coefficient with a Cronbach's alpha of .89 (Chou, 2000).

  10. Child-Parent Relationship

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Child-Parent Relationship at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    The Child-Parent Relationship Scale (C-PRS). The items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 5 (very strongly agree).

  11. Child-Parent Relationship

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Child-Parent Relationship at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    The Child-Parent Relationship Scale (C-PRS). The items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 5 (very strongly agree).

  12. Child-Parent Relationship

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Child-Parent Relationship at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    The Child-Parent Relationship Scale (C-PRS). The items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 5 (very strongly agree).

  13. Parental Stress

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Parental Stress at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    The 17-items Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree).

  14. Parental Stress

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Parental Stress at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    The 17-items Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree).

  15. Parental Stress

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Parental Stress at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    The 17-items Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree).

  16. Motivation for treatment

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Motivation for treatment at posttest (T1: After intervention)

    The 8-item Motivation for Youth's Treatment Scale (MYTS). The items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 5 (very strongly agree).

  17. Motivation for treatment

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Motivation for treatment at 3-month follow-up (T2)

    The 8-item Motivation for Youth's Treatment Scale (MYTS). The items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 5 (very strongly agree).

  18. Motivation for treatment

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (T0) Motivation for treatment at 6-month follow-up (T3)

    The 8-item Motivation for Youth's Treatment Scale (MYTS). The items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 5 (very strongly agree).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hong Kong College of Technology

Other

Collaborators

  • Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Fudan University
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • The University of Hong Kong

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized Controlled Study of Collective Motivational Interviewing (CMI) for Adolescents With Internet Gaming Disorder

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 26, 2023
Registry last updated
Oct 3, 2024

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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