Psychological Therapy for Gaming Disorder

September 2, 2025 updated by: Region Skane

To Evaluate the Effect of a Psychological Treatment for Patients With Gaming Disorder or Hazardous Gaming.

Gaming is a common leisure activity, both for children and adult, and while it is generally a positive experience for most, it can lead to problems for some individuals. There is currently a lack of knowledge of when video gaming becomes a problem and why, and there is a lack of evidence-based interventions for treating Gaming disorder. This pilot study aims to evaluate a new treatment manual for Gaming Disorder, which consists of modules based on cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy. The therapy can be provided as individual therapy to the patient, to relatives, or as family therapy involving both the patient and their relatives. This study is an effectiveness trials and will follow all-patients at the clinic who will be offered the treatment.

The hypothesis is that the manual-based psychotherapy for Gaming Disorder will result in a reduction of Gaming Disorder symptoms and psychological distress, as well as an improvement in daily functioning.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is a part of the clinical work at Gamingprojektet Maria Malmö, which is an outpatient clinic for patients with problematic gaming or Gaming Disorder. The clinic is focused on young people over 13 years of age and adults with problematic gaming or who meet the diagnosis of Gaming Disorder.

The study will aim to evaluate a new treatment that has been developed and are offered at Gamingprojektet Maria Malmö for patients with a problematic gaming behavior or Gaming Disorder. Before starting the treatment, they will undergo a semi-structured interview about their gaming habits, motivation for playing, demographic information, gambling, social habits, family climate, physical health, and psychiatric comorbidity. This is combined with self-assessment questionnaires on mental health, social media habits, alcohol use, drug use, gambling, emotion regulation, and everyday functioning. They will be offered a psychological treatment that combines Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Family therapy (FT). At each session, they will answer short questions about their well-being, how much they have played in the past week, and how much their well-being is related to their gaming. After completing the treatment, the patients will undergo the same semi-structured interview and questionnaires as pre-treatment. Three months after the treatment has ended, they will be called for a follow-up, where they will complete questioners about symptoms of Gaming disorder and psychological wellbeing. The study is conducted fully integrated into regular clinical practice, which allows for the feasibility and possibilities for implementation to be studied directly in connection with the study and in relation to treatment outcomes.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

68

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Sweden
    • Skåne County
      • Malmo, Skåne County, Sweden
        • Region Skane

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Can read and speak Swedish fluidly.
  • ≥ 13 years of age
  • Are treatment seeking for problematic gaming or Gaming disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

- Somatic or psychiatric disease that is contraindicating or severely complicates the implementation of the intervention (e.g., ongoing psychotic, manic or hypomanic episode or neuropsychiatric condition with severe disability)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Psychological therapy for Gaming Disorder
They will be offered a module-based psychological treatment that combines Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Family therapy (FT).
Behavioral: Psychological treatment
The treatment is module-based, and the clinician are supposed to choose a small number of modules to work with depending on the patients need. The individual CBT modules are: 1) Behavioral activation, 2) Accepting thought, 3) Emotion regulation, 4) Impulse control, 5) Procrastination, 6) Relationships, 7) Problem-solving skills, 8) Structuring everyday-life, 9) Diet-Exercise-Sleep, and 10) Social anxiety. The family therapy modules are: 1) Psychoeducation about gaming, 2) Encourage other activities, 3) Positive time together, 4) Expectations and the patients abilities, 5) Making agreements in the family, 6) Emotional validation, and 7) Conflict management.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Gaming Disorder Test (GDT)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Change in symptoms of Gaming Disorder Min: 4 Max: 20 A higher outcome means worse gaming problems
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Change in symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder. Min: 9 Max: 45 A higher outcome means worse gaming problems
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Time spent on gaming in the last week
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Change in time spent on gaming per week
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Time spent on gaming in the last week during the treatment
Time Frame: Once a week during the treatment period: (Post-assessment to Post-treatment) an average of 25 weeks
Change in time spent on gaming per week during the treatment
Once a week during the treatment period: (Post-assessment to Post-treatment) an average of 25 weeks
Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure 34 (Core-OM 34)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Change in self-report measure of psychological distress (for the the patients 16 years and older) Min: 0 Max: 136 A higher outcome means higher psychological distress
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) Youth
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

Change in self-report measure of psychological distress (For children) a 47-item self-report questionnaire with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood.

Min: 0 Max: 141 A higher outcome means higher psychological distress
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) Parent
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

Change in self-report measure of psychological distress (For children) a parent 47-item questionnaire about their children with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood.

Min: 0 Max: 141 A higher outcome means higher psychological distress
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post assessment: an average of 4 weeks from baseline (T1); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
The Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)
Change in a parent report measure of problematic gaming in adolescents (For children) Min: 0 Max: 35 A higher outcome means worse gaming problems
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2); At follow up: 3 months after post treatment (T3)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in if the patients meet criteria for common psychiatric diagnoses. The instrument is a brief structured diagnostic interview for the major psychiatric disorders in DSM-5. The children will be administered MINI-KID
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in functioning. The instrument is a numeric scale used by clinicians to rate subjectively the functioning of an patient Min: 0 Max: 100 A higher outcome means higher functioning
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Working Alliance Inventory 12 (WAI)
Time Frame: Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
self-report questionnaire for measuring the quality of the working alliance after the treatment Min: 12 Max: 84 A higher outcome means higher working alliance
Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - 16 item (Ders-16)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in difficulties in emotion regulation Min: 16 Max: 80 A higher outcome means more problems with emotion regulation
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in symptom of social media disorder, Min: 6 Max: 30 A higher outcome means worse social media problems
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in motives for gaming. The motives are: Escape, Coping, Fantasy, Skill Development, Recreation, Competition, and Social Min: 27 Max: 135. A higher outcome indicate that the patient recognizes himself/herself to a greater extent in the various motives.
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
National Opinion Research Center DSM-IV Screen for Gambling: Preoccupation + Escape + Risked Relationships + Chasing (NODS-PERC)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in symptoms of gambling disorder Min: 0 Max: 4 A higher outcome means worse gambling problems
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit)
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Change in alcohol use Min: 0 Max: 12 A higher outcome means more problems with alcohol use
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);
Drug Use identification list
Time Frame: At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

Change in drug use. By a list to identify use of common substances and frequency of use.

Min: 0 Max: 45. A higher outcome means more problems with drug use
At baseline (Timepoint (T) 0); Post treatment: an average of 9 months from baseline (T2);

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Region Skane

Collaborators

Lund University

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Emma Claesdotter-Knutsson, MD; PHD, Region Skane

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 20, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 31, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

August 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 14, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 30, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

August 31, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

September 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 2, 2025

Last Verified

August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2021-06666-01 (Other Identifier: Swedish Ethical Review Authority)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

After publication of data the IPD will be available at request.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After publication of data

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Not decided yet

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Internet Gaming Disorder

Clinical Trials on Psychological treatment

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Armenia

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe