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STUDY PROTOCOL article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Addictive Disorders
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1478012
This article is part of the Research Topic Addictive Disorders and Digital Medicine: Technology-based solutions for Addictive Disorders View all 7 articles

Blended Digital Health Intervention for Adolescents at High Risk with Digital Media Use Disorders: Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial within the Res@t-Consortium

Provisionally accepted
Oliver Labrenz Oliver Labrenz 1,2*Lucie Waedel Lucie Waedel 1,2Michael Koelch Michael Koelch 1,2Susanne Lezius Susanne Lezius 3Christina Wacker Christina Wacker 1Antonia Fröhlich Antonia Fröhlich 1,2Olaf Reis Olaf Reis 1,2
  • 1 Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University Hospital Rostock, Rostock, Germany
  • 2 German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Site Greifswald/Rostock, Rostock, Germany
  • 3 Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Digital media use disorder (DMUD) is a prevalent problem among young people, which can result in adverse consequences and functional impairments across multiple domains of life due to a persistent inability to regulate one's use, which can lead to the development of psychological problems. In particular, children and adolescents who live in families that are part of the child and youth welfare system and receive support services are considered to be at high risk of developing mental disorders. It is less likely that these families will choose a therapeutic setting for the treatment of DMUD. The objective is to reduce DMUD-related symptoms and improve media use behaviour through the implementation of an app-based training programme. Methods: The efficacy of Res@t digital, initially conceived as an adjunct to child and adolescent psychiatric treatment, is to be evaluated for n= 32 children and adolescents with a media use disorder or at risk of developing this disorder, and their families enrolled in child and youth welfare services. The efficacy of the app will be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial with a waitlist control group. The primary outcome is the reduction of DMUD symptoms over a 20-week period following the onset of app training. Secondary outcomes include EEG measurements and changes in standardized psychopathological variables. Discussion: Should the Res@t app prove efficacious when compared to a waitlist control group, it would constitute an evidence-based intervention for the treatment of DMUD in children and adolescents. For high-risk families, the app could serve as a motivational tool to prompt action regarding potential DMUD and facilitates access to therapeutic facilities.

    Keywords: digital media use disorders, digital health intervention, youth at high risk, adolescents, Child and youth welfare services

    Received: 08 Aug 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Labrenz, Waedel, Koelch, Lezius, Wacker, Fröhlich and Reis. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Oliver Labrenz, Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University Hospital Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.