Problematic Internet UseNCT07806344
Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use in Nepalese University Students
A study testing Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use in people with Problematic Internet Use and Internet Addiction, run by Tribhuvan University, Nepal at 1 site in Nepal.
Trial summary
Problematic internet use, using the internet in ways that interfere with daily life, is a growing concern among university students in Nepal, where studies report prevalence rates between 21.5% and 35.4%. Despite this, structured, evidence-based intervention trials in Nepalese academic settings remain scarce. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Problematic Internet Use, Internet Addiction
- What is being tested?
- Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 59 participants
- Where
- 1 siteNepal
- Study dates
- 3 Dec 2024to 5 Aug 2025
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Undergraduate students enrolled at colleges affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Internet Addiction Test score above 30 (mild, moderate, or severe categories of problematic internet use) at Phase 1 screening
- Willing to provide informed consent and to attend scheduled group sessions
Who cannot join
- IAT score of 30 or below at Phase 1 screening (did not meet inclusion criteria)
- Declined to participate / unwilling to provide informed consent
- Withdrawal before the first intervention session
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Nepal1 site
Central Department of Psychology, Tribhuvan University
Kathmandu, Kathmandu, 44600
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of a Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use Among Undergraduate Students in Nepal: A Quasi-Experimental Trial
Problematic internet use, using the internet in ways that interfere with daily life, is a growing concern among university students in Nepal, where studies report prevalence rates between 21.5% and 35.4%. Despite this, structured, evidence-based intervention trials in Nepalese academic settings remain scarce.
This study tested a six-session group program based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps people change unhelpful behaviors around internet use. Sessions lasted 90 minutes and were delivered weekly by supervised Master's-level psychology students who completed 40 hours of CBT training, which the makes the program affordable and scalable for university settings.
Read more
Fifty-nine undergraduate students took part: 30 received the group program and 29 formed the comparison group. Both groups completed the Internet Addiction Test and the General Self-Efficacy Scale at five time points: before the program, immediately after, and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months later.
Students in the program showed significantly greater reductions in internet addiction symptoms than the comparison group immediately after the program (p = .049) and at 1 month, where a large effect was observed (d = -0.83, p = .003). At 3 months, the difference between groups was no longer statistically significant because the comparison group also continued to improve; however, the program group maintained a large reduction from baseline (d = 1.18). Students in the program also showed a significant increase in self-efficacy that remained stable through every follow-up (all p < .032). Adherence and acceptability were high: participants attended an average of 5.06 of 6 sessions, 80% attended at least 5 sessions, and satisfaction with the therapy reached 78.3% of the maximum possible score.
These findings suggest that a structured, group-based CBT program is an effective and acceptable approach for managing problematic internet use among Nepalese undergraduates and offers a potentially scalable framework for academic institutions in low-resource settings.
- Conditions
- Problematic Internet Use, Internet Addiction
- Being tested
- Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use
- Keywords
- Problematic Internet Use, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Nepal, Undergraduate students, Group intervention, Internet Addiction
- Medical subject headings
- Internet Addiction Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet UseBehavioural
A six-session manualized group program for problematic internet use among Nepalese undergraduates delivered weekly in 90-minute sessions. Grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy, Young's CBT-IA model, and Davis's cognitive-behavioral model of pathological internet use. Sessions 1-2: orientation, psychoeducation, behavioral monitoring, and planning healthier internet habits (behavior modification). Session 3: cognitive restructuring. Sessions 4-5: harm reduction and emotional/psychological drivers of addiction. Session 6: relapse prevention and consolidation. Culturally adapted for Nepalese youth through multidisciplinary expert review (clinical psychologists, psychiatry, Ayurveda/Yoga, clinical psychology residents). Facilitated by two Master's-level psychology trainees after 40 hours of supervised CBT training by the project lead, with weekly supervision and a structured manual for fidelity.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | Participants received the six-session group cognitive-behavioral intervention for problematic internet use, delivered weekly in 90-minute group sessions. Delivered across three cohorts: Cohort 1 (single college: n = 8), Cohort 2 (single college: n = 12), and Cohort 3 (mixed colleges: n = 10). Assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months. Receives: Behavioral: Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use |
| Control | No intervention | Participants received no intervention during the trial period. Assessed on the same schedule as the experimental group: baseline, immediately post-intervention, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months. Delivered across the same three cohorts (Cohort 1: n = 8; Cohort 2: n = 11; Cohort 3: n = 10). |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Internet Addiction Test Score
20-item Internet Addiction Test evaluating the severity of problematic internet use on a 0-5 Likert scale (Young, 1998); higher scores indicate more severe problematic internet use. In this study, scores ≥ 31 defined "mild" to "severe" problematic use.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (3-month follow-up)
Secondary outcomes (1)
General Self-Efficacy Scale Score
10-item Nepali version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale assessing broad optimistic self-beliefs regarding general coping ability (Schwarzer et al., 1997); higher scores indicate greater general self-efficacy. Change from baseline was the analysis metric.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (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 posted8 Sep 2026
- Study start3 Dec 2024
- Primary completion5 Aug 2025
- Study completion5 Aug 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Problematic Internet UseStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Non-equivalent control group design: participants were assigned to the experimental (group CBT) or control group based on availability for scheduled session times, with both groups assessed at the same five time points
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Tribhuvan University, Nepal
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Suraj Shakya, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
- Investigators
- Suraj Shakya, PhD, Study director, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07806344
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TribhuvanU
- Other IDs
- TU-NPAR-079/80 EFRG-11, ERBTU-081-001
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 8 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: De-identified individual participant data and the study protocol will be shared upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, subject to approval by the Ethical Review Board of Tribhuvan University.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of a Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use Among Undergraduate Students in Nepal: A Quasi-Experimental Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07806344
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TribhuvanU
- Conditions
- Problematic Internet Use, Internet Addiction
- Keywords
- Problematic Internet Use, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Nepal, Undergraduate students, Group intervention, Internet Addiction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Tribhuvan University, NepalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 5 Aug 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Sep 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.
Problematic internet use, using the internet in ways that interfere with daily life, is a growing concern among university students in Nepal, where studies report prevalence rates between 21.5% and 35.4%. Despite this, structured, evidence-based intervention trials in Nepalese academic settings remain scarce.
This study tested a six-session group program based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps people change unhelpful behaviors around internet use. Sessions lasted 90 minutes and were delivered weekly by supervised Master's-level psychology students who completed 40 hours of CBT training, which the makes the program affordable and scalable for university settings.
Fifty-nine undergraduate students took part: 30 received the group program and 29 formed the comparison group. Both groups completed the Internet Addiction Test and the General Self-Efficacy Scale at five time points: before the program, immediately after, and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months later.
Students in the program showed significantly greater reductions in internet addiction symptoms than the comparison group immediately after the program (p = .049) and at 1 month, where a large effect was observed (d = -0.83, p = .003). At 3 months, the difference between groups was no longer statistically significant because the comparison group also continued to improve; however, the program group maintained a large reduction from baseline (d = 1.18). Students in the program also showed a significant increase in self-efficacy that remained stable through every follow-up (all p < .032). Adherence and acceptability were high: participants attended an average of 5.06 of 6 sessions, 80% attended at least 5 sessions, and satisfaction with the therapy reached 78.3% of the maximum possible score.
These findings suggest that a structured, group-based CBT program is an effective and acceptable approach for managing problematic internet use among Nepalese undergraduates and offers a potentially scalable framework for academic institutions in low-resource settings.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Non-equivalent control group design: participants were assigned to the experimental (group CBT) or control group based on availability for scheduled session times, with both groups assessed at the same five time points
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Experimental | Behavioral: Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet UseParticipants received the six-session group cognitive-behavioral intervention for problematic internet use, delivered weekly in 90-minute group sessions. Delivered across three cohorts: Cohort 1 (single college: n = 8), Cohort 2 (single college: n = 12), and Cohort 3 (mixed colleges: n = 10). Assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months. |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants received no intervention during the trial period. Assessed on the same schedule as the experimental group: baseline, immediately post-intervention, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months. Delivered across the same three cohorts (Cohort 1: n = 8; Cohort 2: n = 11; Cohort 3: n = 10). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Undergraduate students enrolled at colleges affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Internet Addiction Test score above 30 (mild, moderate, or severe categories of problematic internet use) at Phase 1 screening
- Willing to provide informed consent and to attend scheduled group sessions
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- IAT score of 30 or below at Phase 1 screening (did not meet inclusion criteria)
- Declined to participate / unwilling to provide informed consent
- Withdrawal before the first intervention session
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet UseA six-session manualized group program for problematic internet use among Nepalese undergraduates delivered weekly in 90-minute sessions. Grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy, Young's CBT-IA model, and Davis's cognitive-behavioral model of pathological internet use. Sessions 1-2: orientation, psychoeducation, behavioral monitoring, and planning healthier internet habits (behavior modification). Session 3: cognitive restructuring. Sessions 4-5: harm reduction and emotional/psychological drivers of addiction. Session 6: relapse prevention and consolidation. Culturally adapted for Nepalese youth through multidisciplinary expert review (clinical psychologists, psychiatry, Ayurveda/Yoga, clinical psychology residents). Facilitated by two Master's-level psychology trainees after 40 hours of supervised CBT training by the project lead, with weekly supervision and a structured manual for fidelity. | Behavioural | Experimental |
Primary outcome
Internet Addiction Test Score
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (3-month follow-up)
20-item Internet Addiction Test evaluating the severity of problematic internet use on a 0-5 Likert scale (Young, 1998); higher scores indicate more severe problematic internet use. In this study, scores ≥ 31 defined "mild" to "severe" problematic use.
1 secondary outcome
General Self-Efficacy Scale Score
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (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 8 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. De-identified individual participant data and the study protocol will be shared upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, subject to approval by the Ethical Review Board of Tribhuvan University.
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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.
Suraj Shakya, PhD study director
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Problematic Internet Use in people with Problematic Internet Use and Internet Addiction, run by Tribhuvan University, Nepal at 1 site in Nepal.
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 3 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 8 Sep 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 Nepal. 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?
Internet Addiction Test Score (time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Week 6 (post-intervention), Week 8 (2-week follow-up), Week 10 (1-month follow-up), and Week 18 (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 8 Sep 2026.