Effectiveness and Acceptability of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family Therapy for Gaming Disorder: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Intervention Study of a Novel Psychological Treatment

Abstract

Background Gaming disorder (GD) is a new official diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, and with its recognition, the need to offer treatment for the condition has become apparent. More knowledge is needed about the type of treatment needed for this group of patients. Objective This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a novel module-based psychological treatment for GD based on cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy. Methods This study is a nonrandomized intervention study, with a pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up design. It will assess changes in GD symptoms, psychological distress, and gaming time, alongside treatment satisfaction, working alliance, and a qualitative exploration of patients’ and relatives’ experiences of the treatment. Results This study started in March 2022 and the recruitment is expected to close in August 2024. Conclusions This study evaluates the effectiveness and acceptability of a psychological treatment for patients with problematic gaming behavior and GD. It is an effectiveness trial and will be conducted in routine care. This study will have high external validity and ensure that the results are relevant for a diverse clinical population with psychiatric comorbidity. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06018922; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06018922 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/56315