Craving Behavior Intervention in Ameliorating College Students' Internet Game Disorder: A Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Craving is central to addiction and relapse, yet effective interventions for Internet gaming disorder (IGD) remain underexplored.
• IGD is a behavioral addiction lacking established treatment practices and mechanistic understanding.
• Targeting craving is a recent strategy in addiction intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the effectiveness of a six-session craving behavior intervention (CBI) for mitigating IGD in young adults.
• To identify the active ingredients of CBI contributing to the reduction of IGD.
• To examine the long-term effects of CBI on IGD severity and craving.

Main Methods:

• A six-session CBI was administered to 63 male college students diagnosed with IGD.
• Participants were assigned to either an intervention group or a waiting-list control group.
• Structured questionnaires assessed IGD severity, craving, depression, and psychological needs at baseline, post-intervention, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups.

Main Results:

• The CBI group showed a significant decrease in IGD severity compared to the control group, sustained for 6 months.
• Changes in craving partially mediated the intervention's effect on IGD reduction across immediate, short-term, and long-term assessments.
• Depression relief and a shift in psychological needs from online to real-life activities significantly predicted craving amelioration.

Conclusions:

• Craving-aimed intervention shows promise for treating IGD, offering long-term therapeutic benefits.
• CBI is effective in reducing IGD severity and associated craving in young adults.
• Depression alleviation and redirection of psychological needs are identified as crucial active ingredients for craving mitigation in IGD treatment.