Group therapy for adolescent gaming disorder: intervention efficacy

This study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of group psychotherapy for adolescent internet gaming disorder (IGD). Forty adolescents meeting diagnostic criteria for IGD were randomly allocated to an intervention cohort (n=20) or a control cohort (n=20). Both cohorts received sertraline pharmacotherapy over a 4-month period; concomitantly, the intervention cohort underwent 4 months of structured group psychological intervention comprising seventeen 60-minute weekly sessions. Assessments—including weekly internet usage reports, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS)—were conducted at baseline, intervention termination, and 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant between-group effects, within-subject temporal effects, and group-by-time interactions for IAT scores, SAS scores, and weekly online duration (all p<0.05). Group psychotherapy demonstrated efficacy in reducing internet usage and ameliorating anxiety symptomatology among adolescents with IGD, with sustained benefits supporting long-term rehabilitation and relapse prophylaxis following pharmacological treatment.