Study of a Family Program to Help Children and Teens Ages 11 to 14 Manage Problematic Gaming and Excessive Screen Use Including Support for Families and Parents to Improve Relationships and Reduce Conflicts

What this Trial Is About

This trial studies children and adolescents aged 11 to 14 who experience family conflicts related to problematic gaming or excessive screen use. It evaluates a family-centered program called S-FAME, designed to address these challenges by improving parenting practices and parent-child relationships. The program combines psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and social-emotional learning to help families understand the effects of screen use and prevent related problems. Participants are randomly assigned to either the S-FAME intervention or a control group receiving usual social services treatment. The intervention involves four group sessions, with separate groups for parents and children, focusing on the positive and negative aspects of screen use to reduce family conflicts. After the final follow-up, the control group is offered an online parental intervention consisting of three sessions. Throughout the study, researchers assess outcomes using measures of family conflicts and parent-child warmth, parenting practices, and screen time at baseline, post-treatment, and one month after treatment ends. The study includes questionnaires and evaluations to monitor progress and feasibility. Participation spans from enrollment through follow-up assessments, with the goal of improving family well-being and addressing health inequalities related to screen use.

Evaluation of a Family-centered Program for Problematic Gaming/Excessive Screen Use