Can You Reduce Problematic Smartphone Use Through a Group Intervention: A Single Case Experimental Design

This study will develop and conduct an initial, single-case, mixed-methods evaluation of a brief group intervention for mild and moderate problematic phone use.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Addiction, Smartphone
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Problematic smart phone use course

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 7
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Kent
    • Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom, TN1 2YG
      • Salomons Institute, Canterbury Christ Church University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

-Self-identifies as struggling with problematic smart phone use

Exclusion Criteria:

• Actively experiencing suicidal or self-injurious thoughts, or have experienced these within the past year
• Already in a psychological therapy/intervention
• Planning a change of psychotropic medication during the research project.
• No access to video calling and/or slow internet connection speed
• A mental health condition that is not currently well managed/stable and therefore other interventions are likely to be more appropriate
• Does not own a smartphone that can record screen time
• Is not living in the UK, with access to services within the UK

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Problematic smart phone use course	Behavioral: Problematic smart phone use course; A 6 session, online, group-based, psychological course targetting problematic smart phone use.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from pre-intervention (week 1) at post-intervention (week 10) on the Smartphone Addiction Scale -Short Version (SAS-SV).	This measures smartphone addiction producing a score between 10 and 60, with higher scores indicating greater levels of addiction.	Post-intervention (week 10)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from pre-intervention (week 1) at follow-up (week 18) on the Smartphone Addiction Scale -Short Version (SAS-SV).	This measures smartphone addiction producing a score between 10 and 60, with higher scores indicating greater levels of addiction.	Follow-up (week 18)
Change from pre-intervention (week 1) at post-intervention (week 10) on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale -21 item version (DASS-21).	This measures levels of depression, anxiety and stress, producing a score between 0 for 42 each, with higher levels indicating greater severity.	Post-intervention (week 10)
Change from pre-intervention (week 1) at follow-up (week 18) on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale -21 item version (DASS-21).	This measures levels of depression, anxiety and stress, producing a score between 0 for 42 each, with higher levels indicating greater severity.	Follow-up (week 18)
Change from pre-intervention (week 1) at post-intervention (week 10) on the Multicultural Quality of Life Index.	This measures of quality of life, producing a score between 1 and 10, with higher scores indicating greater quality of life.	Post-intervention (week 10)
Change from pre-intervention (week 1) at follow-up (week 18) on the Multicultural Quality of Life Index.	This measures of quality of life, producing a score between 1 and 10, with higher scores indicating greater quality of life.	Follow-up (week 18)
Change in daily subjective units of distress from the baseline period (weeks 0 and 1) to the intervention period (weeks 2 to 9)	Single case analysis will compare daily subject units of distress ratings from the baseline period to the intervention period. Separate daily ratings, on a 0 to 100 scale, will be obtained for each of anxiety, stress, low mood, and tiredness, with higher ratings indicating higher levels.	Intervention period (weeks 2 to 9)
Change in daily subjective units of distress from the baseline period (weeks 0 and 1) to the follow-up period (weeks 17 to 18)	Single case analysis will compare daily subject units of distress ratings from the baseline period to the follow-up period. Separate daily ratings, on a 0 to 100 scale, will be obtained for each of anxiety, stress, low mood, and tiredness, with higher ratings indicating higher levels.	Follow-up period (weeks 17 to 18)
Change in daily phone use from the baseline period (weeks 0 and 1) to the intervention period (weeks 2 to 9)	Single case analysis will compare daily phone use from the baseline period to the intervention period. Daily use will be measured by screentime (in minutes) and number of pick-ups.	Intervention period (weeks 2 to 9)
Change in daily phone use from the baseline period (weeks 0 and 1) to the follow-up period (weeks 17 to 18)	Single case analysis will compare daily phone use from the baseline period to the follow-up period. Daily use will be measured by screentime (in minutes) and number of pick-ups.	Follow-up period (weeks 17 to 18)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Qualitative interview	In week 18, a qualitative interview will be conducted, based on Elliot's Change Interview. This will explore participants' experiences of the intervention and perceptions of related change.	Week 18

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Canterbury Christ Church University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Brett Hayes, Canterbury Christ Church University; Study Director: Fergal Jones, Canterbury Christ Church University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): May 20, 2022
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): October 29, 2022
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): October 29, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 17, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2022
• First Posted (ACTUAL): May 20, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): November 2, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 31, 2022
• Last Verified: October 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior, Addictive; Internet Addiction Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2020_Brett_Hayes_MRP

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No