Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
BackgroundThis study employed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of standalone psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder in randomized controlled trials. It further compared the effectiveness of psychological interventions across domestic and international...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1619138/full |
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| author | Ruofei Wang Ruofei Wang Yueqian Zhang Yueqian Zhang Zikang Liu Zikang Liu Hanwen Dong Hanwen Dong Zhao Zhang Zhao Zhang Kebing Yang Yan Liu Rongjiang Zhao Qingyan Yang Yajuan Niu |
| author_facet | Ruofei Wang Ruofei Wang Yueqian Zhang Yueqian Zhang Zikang Liu Zikang Liu Hanwen Dong Hanwen Dong Zhao Zhang Zhao Zhang Kebing Yang Yan Liu Rongjiang Zhao Qingyan Yang Yajuan Niu |
| author_sort | Ruofei Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThis study employed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of standalone psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder in randomized controlled trials. It further compared the effectiveness of psychological interventions across domestic and international studies, various intervention modalities, and different intervention durations. The goal is to provide empirical support for optimizing intervention strategies.MethodsA computerized search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials on psychological interventions for gaming addiction published between 2015 and 2025 in EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the included studies and extracted relevant data. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3. Subgroup analyses were performed with region, intervention modality, and intervention duration as moderator variables. A random-effects model was used to estimate the overall effect size. Heterogeneity among studies and publication bias were assessed.ResultsIn total, six studies were included, involving 372 participants. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that psychological interventions can alleviate symptoms of internet gaming disorder (SMD = -0.06, 95%CI: -0.99 to -0.20, P = 0.003). Subgroup analyses revealed that domestic psychological interventions (SMD = -0.89, 95%CI:-1.25 to -0.52, P < 0.00001), offline interventions (SMD = -0.67, 95%CI: -1.17 to -0.17, P = 0.008), and short-term interventions (SMD = -0.82, 95%CI: -1.27 to -0.37, P = 0.0004) were more effective in treating internet gaming disorder.ConclusionsPsychological interventions demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on internet gaming disorder; Specifically, domestic psychological interventions, offline interventions, and short-term interventions demonstrated superior efficacy compared to foreign interventions, online interventions, and long-term interventions, respectively. However, due to the limited number of included studies and substantial heterogeneity, meta-regression was not conducted; instead, subgroup analyses were employed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420251023957. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-710be52446494228a2b6cb2eb766e2fb |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-710be52446494228a2b6cb2eb766e2fb2025-08-20T02:36:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-07-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.16191381619138Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsRuofei Wang0Ruofei Wang1Yueqian Zhang2Yueqian Zhang3Zikang Liu4Zikang Liu5Hanwen Dong6Hanwen Dong7Zhao Zhang8Zhao Zhang9Kebing Yang10Yan Liu11Rongjiang Zhao12Qingyan Yang13Yajuan Niu14Department of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBackgroundThis study employed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of standalone psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder in randomized controlled trials. It further compared the effectiveness of psychological interventions across domestic and international studies, various intervention modalities, and different intervention durations. The goal is to provide empirical support for optimizing intervention strategies.MethodsA computerized search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials on psychological interventions for gaming addiction published between 2015 and 2025 in EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the included studies and extracted relevant data. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3. Subgroup analyses were performed with region, intervention modality, and intervention duration as moderator variables. A random-effects model was used to estimate the overall effect size. Heterogeneity among studies and publication bias were assessed.ResultsIn total, six studies were included, involving 372 participants. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that psychological interventions can alleviate symptoms of internet gaming disorder (SMD = -0.06, 95%CI: -0.99 to -0.20, P = 0.003). Subgroup analyses revealed that domestic psychological interventions (SMD = -0.89, 95%CI:-1.25 to -0.52, P < 0.00001), offline interventions (SMD = -0.67, 95%CI: -1.17 to -0.17, P = 0.008), and short-term interventions (SMD = -0.82, 95%CI: -1.27 to -0.37, P = 0.0004) were more effective in treating internet gaming disorder.ConclusionsPsychological interventions demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on internet gaming disorder; Specifically, domestic psychological interventions, offline interventions, and short-term interventions demonstrated superior efficacy compared to foreign interventions, online interventions, and long-term interventions, respectively. However, due to the limited number of included studies and substantial heterogeneity, meta-regression was not conducted; instead, subgroup analyses were employed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420251023957.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1619138/fullpsychological interventioninternet gaming disordermoderating effectrctmeta-analysis |
| spellingShingle | Ruofei Wang Ruofei Wang Yueqian Zhang Yueqian Zhang Zikang Liu Zikang Liu Hanwen Dong Hanwen Dong Zhao Zhang Zhao Zhang Kebing Yang Yan Liu Rongjiang Zhao Qingyan Yang Yajuan Niu Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Frontiers in Psychiatry psychological intervention internet gaming disorder moderating effect rct meta-analysis |
| title | Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_full | Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_fullStr | Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_short | Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| title_sort | comparative efficacy of psychological interventions for internet gaming disorder a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials |
| topic | psychological intervention internet gaming disorder moderating effect rct meta-analysis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1619138/full |
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