An interventional study of 4-STEP-TPS in Social Media Addiction, sponsored by Government College University Faisalabad. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 13 Years to 18 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-15.
Sponsored by Government College University Faisalabad · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the 4-Step Training Program for Social Media Addiction (4-STEP-TPS) in reducing social media addiction, cognitive fatigue, psychological distress, academic burnout, and procrastination among university students. The study aims to promote healthier digital habits, psychological well-being, and improved academic functioning. Participants with elevated social media addiction will complete a 4-week intervention with one session per week. They will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. Pre- and post-intervention assessments will be conducted to determine the program's effectiveness.
In this research, a sample of approximately N = 200 school students will initially be approached for eligibility screening. Participants will be aged between 13 and 18 years and will be currently enrolled in a school. Participants with a minimum score of 84 on the Social Media Addiction Scale will be eligible for inclusion. Students with a history of severe physical illness, psychiatric or psychological disorders, or psychotic illness will be excluded. After eligibility assessment and screening, N = 40 participants will be selected and randomly allocated to an experimental group (n = 20) and a waitlist control group (n = 20).
The 4-Step Training Program will be delivered over four weeks, with one session per week. The program focuses on psychoeducation, treatment conceptualization and planning, effective management strategies, self-regulation, and relapse prevention. The study will assess changes in social media addiction, cognitive fatigue, psychological distress, academic burnout, and procrastination from pre-intervention to post-intervention.
The study is expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of a structured intervention for managing social media addiction among university students. The 4-Step Training Program is anticipated to reduce social media addiction, cognitive fatigue, and psychological distress. Furthermore, the intervention is expected to improve academic functioning by reducing academic burnout and procrastination, while promoting healthier digital habits, better self-regulation, psychological well-being, and overall academic productivity.
166 studies on the registry are indexed under Internet Addiction Disorder; 47 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is above the median of 88 across 96 interventional studies indexed under Internet Addiction Disorder.
Browse Internet Addiction Disorder studies →Government College University Faisalabad is the lead sponsor of 23 studies on the registry; 8 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Inclusion Criteria: Participants aged 13-18 years. Participants with a minimum score of 84 on the Social Media Addiction Scale. Exclusion Criteria:1) Participants below 13 years or above 18 years of age. Participants with any diagnosed psychiatric disorder or mental health condition.
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Behavioral: 4-STEP-Training Program for Social Media Addiction (4-STEP-TPS) 4 Modules with 1 Module being delivered in 1 weekly session of approximately 90 minutes. The details of each module/step is described as follows: Step 1. (Module 1): S = Screening, Assessment and Psychoeducation: Involves screening and assessment of the problem, interpretation of the results, feedback and psychoeducation, identifying and breaking the resistance, motivation, and conceptualization. Step 2. (Module 2): T = Treatment Conceptualization and Planning: Involves pattern identification, distortion identification, as well as pattern and distortions modifications. Step 3 (Module 3): E = Effective Management Strategies: Involves management strategies to treat the earlier identified patterns as well as the implementation and confirmation of activities via a Pattern Schedule Chart. Step 4 (Module 4): P = Prevention (Lapse-Relapse): Involves self-reflection and support building, monitoring and dependency check
Behavioral: 4-STEP-TPS
No treatment
Four-step training program designed to reduce social media addiction and related psychological/academic difficulties among students.
Social Networking Addiction Scale
Social Networking Addiction Scale (SNAS) was developed to measure addiction of all forms of social networking across six-dimensions salience (items 1-4), mood modification (items 5-7), tolerance (items 8-10), withdrawal (items 11-14), conflict (item 15-17), and relapse (items 18-21) (Shahnawaz \& Rehman, 2020). The SNAS is a self-reported scale which entails 21-items scale rated on 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The score can range from 21 to 147. Any score above a total score of 84 signifies addiction. The scale has demonstrated good test-retest reliability of 0.88 and good validity as reported by Shahnawaz and Rehman (2020).
Time frame: After 4 weeks and reassessment up to 6 months]
Multidimensional Fatigue Scale ( MFS)
The scale was designed to assess fatigue-related experiences among children and adolescents across multiple domains of functioning. The PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale consists of 18 items divided into three subscales: General Fatigue, Sleep/Rest Fatigue and Cognitive Fatigue with each subscale comprising six items. The instrument uses a 5-point Likert-scale response format which range from (0=Never to 4=Almost Always) with participants indicating how frequently they experienced each fatigue-related symptom during the past month. Lower scores on the Multidimentional Fatigue Scale items indicated greater levels of cognitive fatigue among the participants (Varni, n.d.).
Time frame: after 4 weeks, and reassessment up to 6 months
Tuckman Procrastination Scale
The scale was developed to assess individual's tendencies to delay, postpone or avoid completing tasks and responsibilities. Since its development the TPS has been widely used to examine procrastination in educational settings among adolescent and student populations. The scale consists of 16 items and employs a 4-point Likert-scale response format ranging from (1=That is not me for sure, to 4=That is me for sure). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which each statement describes their typical behavior. Higher scores on the scale indicate a greater tendency toward procrastination.
Time frame: at screening after 4 weekds, and reassessment up to 6 months]
School Burnout Inventory
School Burnout Inventory (SBI-9) 2009a). The instrument was designed to assess school-related burnout among adolescents and has been widely used in educational and psychological research to evaluate students' experiences of exhaustion and disengagement related to academic demands. In the present study, the School Burnout Inventory was administered to measure academic burnout among adolescent school students. The instrument was considered appropriate because it captures the multidimensional nature of burnout within the school context and has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties among adolescent populations. Scores on all items were summed to obtain an overall measure of academic burnout with higher scores reflecting greater levels of burnout.
Time frame: At screening, after 4 weeks and reassessment upto 6 months
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). The DASS-21 and has been widely used in both clinical and non-clinical populations (S. H. Lovibond \& Lovibond, 2011). The scale consists of 21 items distributed across three subscales: Depression, Anxiety and Stress with each subscale comprising seven items. The instrument employs a 4-point Likert-type response format ranging from (0=Never to 3=Always). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which each statement applied to them during the previous week. In the present study the Urdu version of the DASS-21 was administered to measure psychological distress among adolescent school students.
Time frame: At screening, after 4 weeks and reassessment upto 6 months
Plan to share: No
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Government College University Faisalabad