The goal of the study is to investigate the efficacy of a secondary low-intensity stage of change (SoC) and motivational interviewing (MI)-based Chatbot-assisted intervention in reducing digital addictions in adolescents with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and/or social media addiction (SMA) by conducting a RCT.
Hypothesis: The intervention group will show a greater reduction in rates of IGD and/or SMA at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up than the control group.
Design and subjects: A two-armed RCT between the intervention group and psycho-educational control group for adolescents aged 10-19 with excessive screen time. Screening, baseline, post-programme, and 3-month follow-up evaluations will be conducted.
Participants will:
Be randomly assigned to online brief intervention or psycho-educational control
Complete questionnaires evaluating 1 ) Primary outcomes (IGD, SMA), 2) Secondary outcomes (sedentary lifestyle, mental distress, quality of life, eHealth literacy) and 3) Mediators/mechanisms (autonomy, competence)
Students at grades 5-6 in primary schools or grades 7-12 in secondary schools,
Positive screening results of IGD and/or SMA) based on the validated screening tools
Using smartphone or Internet on a daily base, 4) students' and parental consent,
Chinese speaking.
Current use of any psychotropic medication.