Development and Effectiveness of Humanities-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Adolescents With Problematic Gaming Behavior

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OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a humanities-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for adolescents aged 11-15 years exhibiting symptoms of problematic gaming, focusing on its impact on depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Internet gaming disorder (IGD). METHODS: Elementary and middle school students with IGD symptoms were recruited and divided into a humanities-based CBT group (20 students) and a control group receiving supportive therapy (21 students). Participants' IGD symptoms and levels of depression, anxiety, and ADHD before and after the intervention were compared and evaluated. RESULTS: Verifying the effectiveness of the developed humanities treatment program showed a significant decrease in clinical scale scores indicating anxiety, ADHD, and IGD. In particular, the differences in IGD and anxiety scores between the intervention and control groups were significant, demonstrating the effectiveness of the humanities-based CBT program. Positive correlations were found between the pre-post scores for depression and IGD and between anxiety, depression, and IGD following the humanities-based intervention. CONCLUSION: In this study, experts in various fields developed a humanities-based CBT program for adolescents with problematic gaming behavior and verified its effectiveness, demonstrating that programs utilizing the humanities and writing can positively affect symptoms of IGD, anxiety, depression, and ADHD in adolescents. These findings indicate the need to verify the effectiveness of humanities-based therapy programs for adolescents in more diverse regions and age groups.