Page No 443-451
Meryl de Souza
University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK.
Janet Fernandes
St. Xavier’s College, Goa- India
This systematic review examines the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
in treating Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) among adolescents. The review synthesizes
findings from seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs), all of which utilized waitlist
control group designs. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO,
and Cochrane Library databases for RCTs published between 2013-2023 that examined
CBT interventions for IGD in adolescents aged 12-18 years. The study selection process
began with the identification of 342 records PubMed (156) PsycINFO (127), and
Cochrane Library (59). Before screening, 73 duplicate records were removed, leaving
269 records to be screened based on their titles and abstracts. Of these, 241 records
were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. The remaining 28 reports were
sought for full-text retrieval, all of which were successfully retrieved. These 28 reports
were then assessed for eligibility, but 21 were excluded for various reasons. Ultimately,
7 studies met all the criteria and were included in the systematic review. The primary
outcome was IGD symptom severity. Secondary outcomes included depression, anxiety,
and time spent gaming. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias
tool. Seven RCTs (N = 523 participants) met inclusion criteria. Despite variations in
sample size, intervention duration, and assessed outcomes, Meta-analysis showed
that CBT significantly reduced IGD symptoms compared to control conditions at posttreatment
(g = -0.59, 95% CI [-0.93, -0.25], p < .001) and follow-up (g = -0.39 [-0.73, –
0.05], p = .02). CBT also demonstrated significant reduction in depression, anxiety,
and gaming time. Study quality was generally low to moderate. The holistic benefits of
CBT highlight its potential as a comprehensive intervention for IGD. Future research
should aim to standardize treatment protocols and explore long-term outcomes to
further validate CBT’s efficacy in treating IGD.