AddictionPDGT-PPUNCT07772193
Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy for Problematic Pornography Use
A study testing Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy in people with Addiction, run by Harun Ismail Incekara at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of short-term psychodynamic group therapy for problematic pornography use in young adult men. Participants were assigned to either a psychodynamic group therapy intervention or a control condition. The intervention consisted of 16 online group therapy sessions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 years, men only
- Conditions the study is for
- Addiction
- What is being tested?
- Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2025to 1 May 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 18 to 30 years
- Men only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Male sex
- Aged 18-30 years
- At least a high school education
- Pornography use on at least 3 days per week
- Meeting the study's screening criterion for problematic pornography use
- Providing informed consent and willingness to participate in the intervention and assessments
Who cannot join
- Self-reported history of a severe psychiatric disorder
- Self-reported history of substance dependence
- Severe psychological distress requiring individual psychiatric intervention
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy for Problematic Pornography Use: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of short-term psychodynamic group therapy for problematic pornography use in young adult men. Participants were assigned to either a psychodynamic group therapy intervention or a control condition. The intervention consisted of 16 online group therapy sessions. The study examined changes in pornography craving, emotion regulation difficulties, shame, and guilt. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention and at follow-up.
- Conditions
- Addiction
- Being tested
- Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy
- Keywords
- Problematic Pornography Use, Pornography Craving, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, group Psychotherapy
- Medical subject headings
- Behavior, Addictive
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Short-Term Psychodynamic Group TherapyBehavioural
The intervention consisted of 16 online psychodynamic group therapy sessions, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. Sessions were conducted in a group format via Google Meet. The intervention focused on psychodynamic exploration of problematic pornography use, including associated emotions, interpersonal patterns, internal conflicts, and difficulties in emotion regulation.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Psychodynamic Group Therapy | Experimental | Participants assigned to this arm received short-term psychodynamic group therapy consisting of 16 online group sessions. Receives: Behavioral: Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy |
| Control Group | No intervention | Participants assigned to this arm did not receive the psychodynamic group therapy intervention during the study period. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pornography Craving Questionnaire (PCQ) Score
Pornography craving was assessed using the Pornography Craving Questionnaire (PCQ). Higher scores indicate greater pornography craving.
Measured: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up
Secondary outcomes (2)
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16) Score
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16) was used to assess difficulties in emotion regulation. The scale consists of 16 items rated from 1 to 5, yielding a total score ranging from 16 to 80. Higher scores indicate greater difficulties in emotion regulation and therefore a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up
Trait Shame and Guilt Scale - Shame Subscale Score
Shame was assessed using the shame subscale of the Trait Shame and Guilt Scale (TSGS). The mean subscale score ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater levels of shame and therefore a worse outcome.
Measured: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Aug 2026
- Study start1 Dec 2025
- Primary completion1 Apr 2026
- Study completion1 May 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AddictionStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Harun Ismail Incekara
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Harun Ismail Incekara, Medipol University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07772193
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PPU-PDGT-2025-01
- Acronym
- PDGT-PPU
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 21 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be publicly shared due to the sensitive nature of the data and participant confidentiality considerations.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy for Problematic Pornography Use: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07772193
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PDGT-PPU / PPU-PDGT-2025-01
- Conditions
- Addiction
- Keywords
- Problematic Pornography Use, Pornography Craving, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, group Psychotherapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Harun Ismail IncekaraUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 May 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 Aug 2026 (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.
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of short-term psychodynamic group therapy for problematic pornography use in young adult men. Participants were assigned to either a psychodynamic group therapy intervention or a control condition. The intervention consisted of 16 online group therapy sessions. The study examined changes in pornography craving, emotion regulation difficulties, shame, and guilt. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention and at follow-up.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Psychodynamic Group Therapy | Experimental | Behavioral: Short-Term Psychodynamic Group TherapyParticipants assigned to this arm received short-term psychodynamic group therapy consisting of 16 online group sessions. |
| Control Group | No intervention | –Participants assigned to this arm did not receive the psychodynamic group therapy intervention during the study period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Male sex
- Aged 18-30 years
- At least a high school education
- Pornography use on at least 3 days per week
- Meeting the study's screening criterion for problematic pornography use
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Self-reported history of a severe psychiatric disorder
- Self-reported history of substance dependence
- Severe psychological distress requiring individual psychiatric intervention
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Short-Term Psychodynamic Group TherapyThe intervention consisted of 16 online psychodynamic group therapy sessions, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. Sessions were conducted in a group format via Google Meet. The intervention focused on psychodynamic exploration of problematic pornography use, including associated emotions, interpersonal patterns, internal conflicts, and difficulties in emotion regulation. | Behavioural | Psychodynamic Group Therapy |
Primary outcome
Pornography Craving Questionnaire (PCQ) Score
Time frame: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up
Pornography craving was assessed using the Pornography Craving Questionnaire (PCQ). Higher scores indicate greater pornography craving.
2 secondary outcomes
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16) Score
Time frame: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up
Trait Shame and Guilt Scale - Shame Subscale Score
Time frame: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be publicly shared due to the sensitive nature of the data and participant confidentiality considerations.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Short-Term Psychodynamic Group Therapy in people with Addiction, run by Harun Ismail Incekara at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 6 inclusion and 3 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Aug 2026. 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pornography Craving Questionnaire (PCQ) Score (time frame: Baseline, Week 8, and 3-month follow-up). 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 21 Aug 2026.