The effects of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for reducing symptoms of internet addiction disorder and promoting quality of life and mental health

Abstract Introduction Internet addiction disorder has reportedly become an important cause of health and social problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for internet addiction symptoms, quality of life, and mental health of students with internet addiction. Methods This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest measures and a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all students at Tehran universities in the academic year of 2018-19. The target group was selected through an internet addiction test and a clinical interview using a targeted sampling method and was divided into experimental and control groups by randomization. The experimental group participated in fifteen 90-minute cognitive-behavioral group therapy sessions. Before, immediately after, and 3 months after the treatment, the internet addiction symptoms of both groups were evaluated to assess mental health with the IAT, quality of life (QOL), and SCL-90-R questionnaires. Data were analyzed with ANCOVA analysis using SPSS Statistics 20 software. Results After treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy groups showed reductions in internet addiction scores (p < 0.05). Results showed that the cognitive-behavioral group therapy was effective for improving quality of life (p < 0.05) and mental illnesses (p < 0.05) in students with internet addiction. Conclusions Cognitive-behavioral group therapy can enhance awareness and mental health of students with internet addiction. Therefore, this intervention can be used as a beneficial treatment to reduce internet addiction symptoms and improve the condition of people with behavioral addictions such as internet dependency.