Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Mobile Phone Addiction in Hospitalized Patients (CBT)

The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Mobile Phone Addiction and Emotional Improvement in Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Problematic mobile phone use is excessive dependence and use of electronic products and their functions, which affects the daily life of users. Previous studies have shown that mobile phone addiction is related to depression, anxiety severity, and stress, and it is negatively correlated with sleep quality. For hospitalized patients in the mental health department, symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and poor sleep are very common. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been widely applied in online gaming addiction and is also effective in intervening in mobile phone addiction. Therefore, Hospitalized patients in the mental health department will be randomized to either the CBT interventions or an control group. The main outcome measure is the Simplified Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV), measured before intervention and after the completion of the last brief intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Problematic Use of Mobile Phones
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Cognitive-behavioral therapy; Other: Traditional treatment in the ward

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 140
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Yanhui Liao; Phone Number: +86 18814898844; Email: liaoyanhui@zju.edu.cn

Study Locations

• China
  • Zhejiang
    • Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310000
      • Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 14 years old.
• Willingness to treat problematic mobile phone usage behavior.
• Voluntarily participate in this study and sign an informed consent form. If the subject is unable to read and sign the informed consent form due to reasons such as lack of legal capacity, or if the subject is a minor, their guardian must act as a proxy for the informed process and sign the informed consent form. If the subject lacks the ability to read the informed consent form (such as illiterate subjects), a witness must witness the informed process and sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having serious physical or mental illnesses (such as ongoing psychotic symptoms, manic episodes, or severely disabling neurological and psychiatric disorders), unable to cooperate with intervention.
• Previously received or currently undergoing CBT intervention for mobile phone addiction.
• Cognitive impairment patients, critically ill patients, pregnant women, etc.
• There are other situations that researchers consider unsuitable to participate in this study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CBT Intervention Group; Besides traditional treatment in the ward, a self-designed self-help manual for mobile phone addiction was distributed, and five psychological interventions were carried out.	Other: Cognitive-behavioral therapy; 5 CBT intervention: the first intervention was conducted after the patient was hospitalized, completed relevant informed consent and pre-test, and lasted for about 30 minutes once; Follow up intervention 4 times: once a day for about 20 minutes. Traditional treatment in the ward includes drug therapy based on the different conditions of hospitalized patients, physical therapy such as work entertainment, Morita, biofeedback therapy, etc. Some patients may also receive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy and psychological therapy.
Other: Control Group; Besides traditional treatment in the ward, a self-designed self-help manual for mobile phone addiction was distributed.	Other: Traditional treatment in the ward; Traditional treatment in the ward includes drug therapy based on the different conditions of hospitalized patients, physical therapy such as work entertainment, Morita, biofeedback therapy, etc. Some patients may also receive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy and psychological therapy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Simplified version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV)	The SAS-SV scale was developed by Min Kwon et al. in 2013, consisting of 10 items, and using a 6-level scoring method.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS)	The scale consists of 20 items and uses a 4-level scoring system. The higher the total score, the higher the level of anxiety.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)	Used to evaluate the sleep quality over the past month. This scale consists of 19 self-evaluation items and 5 self-evaluation items. Among them, the 19th self-evaluation item and 5 other evaluation items do not participate in scoring. The 18 self-evaluation items participating in the scoring process constitute 7 components, each of which is scored using a 4-point scoring method ranging from 0-3 points. The sum of the scores for each factor is the total PSQI score. A total score greater than 7 indicates the presence of sleep quality issues.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
IAT Internet Addiction Questionnaire	The scale consists of 20 items and is rated on a 5-point scale.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES)	The scale consists of 10 items and is rated on a 4-point scale.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Self Control Strength Scale (SCS)	The study used the revised Chinese version of the scale. The scale contains 19 items and adopts a 5-point scoring system.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS)	The scale consists of 20 items and uses a 4-level scoring system. The higher the total score, the greater the individual's depressive mood.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Pleasure Deficiency Questionnaire	A Chinese version of 20 items, with a 6-level scoring system. The lower the score, the more obvious the lack of pleasure.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Short Video Addiction Scale	Used to measure addiction to short videos. Contains 14 items, using a 5-point scoring system.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Social Media Barrier Scale (BSMAS)	Used to measure social media addiction. The scale consists of 6 items and uses a 5-point scoring system.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Pressure Perception Scale (PSS-10)	Used to measure the subjective perceived level of stress. Using 10 item versions with a 5-point rating.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Simplified Barratt Impulse Scale (BBIS) in Chinese	The simplified scale consists of 8 items and uses a 4-point rating system.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Happiness Index Scale (WHO-5)	The scale consists of 5 items and adopts a 6-level scoring system.	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)
Severity of Game Addiction (IGDS9)	The scale consists of 9 items and uses a 5-point scoring system	Baseline and Post-intervention (day 5)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 3, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 3, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cognitive behavioral therapy; psychotherapy; Problematic use of mobile phones
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2026-0156; 2022ZD0211200 (Other Grant/Funding Number: STI 2030-Major Projects of China)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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