A recent clinical trial reveals that targeted cognitive behavioural therapy interventions in schools are more effective than media literacy education at reducing gaming disorder symptoms among vulnerable adolescents.
A school-based prevention programme built around cognitive behavioural therapy has outperformed a media literacy approach in reducing gaming disorder symptoms among adolescents already at elevated risk, according to a randomised clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open.
The study followed 1,793 students aged around 13 in 44 secondary schools in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, over 12 months. Researchers compared two four-session interventions delivered during school hours by prevention specialists: one, known as PROTECTtraining, focused on changing unhelpful thinking patterns and strengthening coping skills; the other, PROTECTinfo, gave pupils general information about the risks linked to media use.
The clearest benefit appeared in the smaller group of 205 high-risk adolescents. In that subgroup, those assigned to the cognitive behavioural therapy-based programme recorded lower symptom scores after a year than those who received the media literacy intervention. The trial found that both approaches were associated with some improvement, but the reduction was greater with the therapy-based method.
By contrast, the difference was not significant across the full sample of students. That distinction matters, because it points to a likely role for targeted rather than universal prevention. In other words, the results suggest that a more intensive behavioural programme may be most useful when directed at young people already showing early warning signs, rather than offered to every pupil in a school.
The findings fit with a wider body of research that has increasingly supported cognitive behavioural approaches for gaming-related problems. A separate systematic review published in Clinical Psychology Review this year said CBT has evidence behind it but remains insufficiently understood, while an earlier trial in Addiction reported that an integrated cognitive-behavioural and motivational approach helped reduce gaming disorder symptoms in adolescents. Together, those studies suggest that structured psychological interventions may have more value than information-only lessons when the aim is to change behaviour.
For parents, the practical message is that education about screen use is not necessarily enough for children who are already struggling. The new trial suggests that schools and health services may need clearer screening and referral pathways so that adolescents at higher risk can be identified early and offered more focused support.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
