Clinical Research Directory

Community-based Study With 1st-year Secondary Students (n=1104) and Their Environment. It Evaluates a Complex Intervention (Community Actions, Classroom-based Mindfulness for Adolescents, and Online Mindfulness for Adults) to Reduce Problematic Video Game Use and Improve Well-being.

The goal of this observational, community-based study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention designed to reduce problematic video game use and the risk of video game addiction in adolescents, while promoting active, shared leisure activities and personal and emotional development. The study involves students in the first year of secondary education (approximately 12-13 years old) from multiple schools in Pontevedra (Galicia, Spain), as well as adults from their close environment, including family members, teachers, health professionals, and community representatives. Schools are assigned either to an intervention group or to a control group with similar sociodemographic characteristics. The study is based on a systems and community perspective, assuming that adolescents' video game use is influenced by individual factors (such as impulsivity and emotional regulation), as well as by family, school, and community contexts and the availability of appealing leisure alternatives. For this reason, the intervention consists of three coordinated components that are implemented over time in the intervention schools. The main questions the study aims to answer are: (a) Can a complex intervention combining community participation and mindfulness-based training reduce problematic video game use and the risk of video game addiction in adolescents?; (b) Does classroom-based mindfulness training improve adolescents' mindfulness, emotional well-being, and self-regulation?; (c) Does mindfulness training for adults improve their own well-being and their ability to support adolescents in adopting healthier leisure habits?; and (d) Can a participatory, community-based approach increase adolescents' awareness and use of active, screen-free leisure alternatives? Researchers will compare adolescents from intervention schools with adolescents from control schools, where no intervention is implemented and only data are collected. Outcomes will be measured at three time points: before the intervention, after the intervention, and at follow-up, in order to assess changes over time and the sustainability of effects. Participants will: * Complete questionnaires at different time points assessing video game use, possible video game addiction, mindfulness, psychological well-being, impulsivity, cyberbullying, social support, and online experiences. * Take part in a community-based component in which adolescents actively participate in identifying, designing, and promoting leisure activities without screens in their local environment. This process includes the creation of a school-based community group composed of adolescents, teachers, health professionals, family representatives, and community members. Adolescents are involved in participatory activities to map community resources and co-design attractive leisure options, which are later implemented and shared with families and the wider community. * Participate in a group-based mindfulness and emotional development program delivered in the classroom during school hours. This program consists of structured sessions based on established mindfulness protocols and is designed to help adolescents develop attention skills, emotional awareness, stress management, and self-regulation. * Access an individual, online mindfulness and emotional regulation program (adults only), which combines mindfulness practices and cognitive-behavioral strategies. This self-guided program is completed over several weeks and aims to improve adults' well-being and provide tools to better support adolescents. By integrating community action, school-based intervention, and adult involvement, this study seeks to evaluate a comprehensive and sustainable approach to preventing problematic video game use and promoting healthier lifestyles during adolescence