Substance Use DisordersNCT04723498
Problematic Use of the Internet in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
A study testing screening questionnaire in people with Substance Use Disorders, run by Susanne Walitza at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
Pathological internet use is a blanket term for problematic behavior types (e.g. uncontrolled gaming, cyber pornography, cyber mobbing and excessive use of social media): all perpetrated through the internet. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 8 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Substance Use Disorders
- What is being tested?
- screening questionnaire
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 300 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2020to 1 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 8 to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- male and female patients ages from 8 - 18 years
- All study participants or their legal representative have given written permission for their experiences to be documented in the study.
Who cannot join
- Inability to understand explanations and the questionnaire, whether linguistic or cognitative
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Switzerland1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Psychiatric University Clinics, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8032
Susanne Walitza, susanne.walitza@puk.zh.ch, +41 43 499 26 26, susanne.walitza@puk.zh.ch
Renate Drechsler, Prof. Dr. phil., +41 43 499 4050, renate.drechsler@kjpd.uzh.ch
About this study
Pathological internet use is a blanket term for problematic behavior types (e.g. uncontrolled gaming, cyber pornography, cyber mobbing and excessive use of social media): all perpetrated through the internet. There is little documentation or research on interdependencies/interplay between problematic internet and/or media use and child-adolescent disturbances. Very few clinical examples of syndromes like attention deficiency/hyperactivity (ADHS), anxiety disorder or affective disturbances associated with pathological media/internet use, or gaming, are found in literature.
- Conditions
- Substance Use Disorders
- Being tested
- screening questionnaire
- Medical subject headings
- Substance-Related Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
screening questionnaireDiagnostic test
Fill in screening questionnaire
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Patients | Other | male and female patients, handled on an ambulatory basis in Psychiatric University Clinics, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrythe ages from 8 - 18 years during the study Receives: Diagnostic Test: screening questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Symptoms severity of problematic internet and media use
The clinician screening questionnaire (PUI) contains 9 items designed to assess severity of problematic internet and media use of obsessive and compulsive in children and adolescents.The test uses a 4-point scale to rate severity of problematic internet and media use. Higher score means a worse outcome.
Measured: 3 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Jan 2021
- Study start1 Dec 2020
- Primary completion1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Substance Use DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Susanne Walitza
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Susanne Walitza, Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich
- Investigators
- Susanne Walitza, Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych., Principal investigator, Sponsor GmbH
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04723498
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- KJPP 2020-00117
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Jan 2021
- Last updated
- 13 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Problematic Use of the Internet in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04723498
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- KJPP 2020-00117
- Conditions
- Substance Use Disorders
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Susanne WalitzaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Jan 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Pathological internet use is a blanket term for problematic behavior types (e.g. uncontrolled gaming, cyber pornography, cyber mobbing and excessive use of social media): all perpetrated through the internet. There is little documentation or research on interdependencies/interplay between problematic internet and/or media use and child-adolescent disturbances. Very few clinical examples of syndromes like attention deficiency/hyperactivity (ADHS), anxiety disorder or affective disturbances associated with pathological media/internet use, or gaming, are found in literature.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Patients | Other | Diagnostic Test: screening questionnairemale and female patients, handled on an ambulatory basis in Psychiatric University Clinics, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrythe ages from 8 - 18 years during the study |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 8 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- male and female patients ages from 8 - 18 years
- All study participants or their legal representative have given written permission for their experiences to be documented in the study.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Inability to understand explanations and the questionnaire, whether linguistic or cognitative
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| screening questionnaireFill in screening questionnaire | Diagnostic test | Patients |
Primary outcome
Symptoms severity of problematic internet and media use
Time frame: 3 months
The clinician screening questionnaire (PUI) contains 9 items designed to assess severity of problematic internet and media use of obsessive and compulsive in children and adolescents.The test uses a 4-point scale to rate severity of problematic internet and media use. Higher score means a worse outcome.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 May 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Susanne Walitza, Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. principal investigator
Sponsor GmbH
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing screening questionnaire in people with Substance Use Disorders, run by Susanne Walitza at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Susanne Walitza, Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. (+41 43 499 26 26, susanne.walitza@puk.zh.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Symptoms severity of problematic internet and media use (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 May 2025.