Effects of Digital Detox on Mental Health in Young Adults
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity of Bergen
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a short, self-guided program for cutting down smartphone screen time can reduce symptoms of depression in young adults. It includes students in Oslo, Norway, who have applied for help at the student mental health service (SiO Mental Health).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does a 2-week screen time reduction program reduce symptoms of depression? * Does it reduce symptoms of anxiety? * Can a simple, widely available phone app reduce screen time, and does the reduction last?
Researchers will compare students who start the program right away with students who continue their usual care for 2 weeks and receive the same program afterwards. Participants are placed in one of the two groups by chance, like flipping a coin.
Participants will:
* Answer questionnaires about depression and anxiety symptoms at the start and again after 2 weeks * Upload screenshots of the Screen Time summary on their iPhone at the start, after 2 weeks, and after 12 weeks * Install an app that blocks the apps they find most distracting and keep it active for 2 weeks, if they are placed in the program group * Take part entirely online, with no clinic visits and no contact with the study team
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Has applied for care at SiO Mental Health, the student mental health service in Oslo, and has received the service's response to the application
Owns an iPhone (the screen time restriction tool requires iOS)
Able to understand written Norwegian
Provides informed consent
Disqualifiers
None
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
App-based smartphone screen time restriction program
BehavioralTwo-week self-guided use of an iOS screen time restriction app. Participants block their most distracting apps, with notifications disabled. Unlocking requires a 30-second delay, allows 10 minutes of access, then a 5-minute cooldown.
Treatment groups
200 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Screen time reductionExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Care as usualNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Symptoms of depression (PHQ-9)
Patient Health Questionnaire-9, range 0 to 27, higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms.
Time frame
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 2 weeksSecondary outcomes
1
Symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, range 0 to 21, higher scores indicate more anxiety symptoms.
Time frame
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 2 weeks2
Total smartphone screen time
Time frame
2 weeks and 12 weeks after randomization3
Smartphone screen time by app category
Time frame
2 weeks and 12 weeks after randomization4
Number of daily smartphone pickups
Time frame
2 weeks and 12 weeks after randomizationOther outcomes
1
Self-reported changes in daily functioning and well-being
Twelve single-item questions on perceived change over the past 2 weeks, each answered on a 5-point scale from 1 (much less than usual) to 5 (much more than usual). The domains are sleep, time spent with others, physical activity, time on other screens (computer, tablet), loneliness, satisfaction with oneself, rumination on negative thoughts, feeling of missing out, stress, ability to concentrate, satisfaction with own study effort, and getting done what one plans. Higher scores indicate more of the attribute than usual. Whether a higher score represents a better outcome depends on the domain.
Time frame
2 weeks2
Adherence to the screen time restriction tool
Self-reported proportion of the 2-week period with the blocking rule kept active, answered on a 5-level ordinal scale: all of the time, most of the time, part of the time, little of the time, none. Higher levels indicate greater adherence. Reported by the intervention group.
Time frame
2 weeks3
Perceived usefulness and burden of the tool
Perceived usefulness of the tool for reducing screen time and perceived burden in everyday life, each answered on a 5-point scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (to a very great extent), and a single question on intention to continue use (yes, no, do not know). Higher usefulness indicates a better outcome and higher burden a worse outcome. Reported by the intervention group at 2 weeks and by both groups at 12 weeks.
Time frame
2 weeks and 12 weeksSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of Bergen
Lead sponsor
Studentsamskipnaden i Oslo (SiO)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: