Res@t – Resource-Strengthening Training for Adolescents with Problematic Digital-Media Use and their Parents: pracitical introduction to a new intervention

Background: The addicted use of new media applications, such as digital games, social media platforms, and video-streaming services, has become highly prevalent among adolescents. Associated parents are often distressed. Since the inclusion of Gaming Disorder in the ICD-11, WHO has officially recognized the clinical relevance of internet use disorders (IUDs). Though, effective and evidence-based treatment offers addressing both the affected adolescents and their parents are highly warranted. Res@t is a new therapy program which aims to close this gap. It is a fully manualized CBT offer and addresses affected adolescents as well as their parents in seperate but parallel face-to-face group settings. The adolescent program (Res@t-A) is recommended for groups of 4–10 participants between 10 and 19 years and consists of 8 sessions. It focuses on the psychoeducation about the etiology of IUDs in adolescence, the improvement of motivation to change, and the development of intra- and interpersonal skills, such as mindfulness, self-control, sleep hygiene, self-care, emotion regulation, social skills, and relapse prevention. The corresponding parental program (Res@t-P) consists of 8 sessions as well. After a similar psychoeducational introduction, Res@t-P focusses on intrafamiliar communication, self-reflection of parenting styles, and supports parents to implement sufficient media usage rules and self-care strategies. Via regular family appointments, which are conducted individually at 3 points during the treatment duration, the transfer of therapeutical effects is supported. Both programs showed good feasability, with significant reduction in adolescent symptomology and improvement in parental self-efficacy, in their respective pilot evaluations. A randomized-controlled trial of an app-based Res@t version is currently being conducted. Objectives: During the workshop participants will be offered ideas and techniques on potentially successful interactions with affected clients and their family members. They will be introduced to the theoretical background, materials, and procedures of both Res@t-A and Res@t-P and interactively practice selected exercises.