Can Mindfulness and Self-monitoring Improve Control Over Maladaptive Daydreaming?

NCT ID: NCT05235243

Last Updated: 2022-02-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 697 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-12-20
• Study Completion Date: 2021-02-28

Brief Summary

Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a compulsive form of daydreaming that causes distress and functional impairment among tens of thousands of self-diagnosed sufferers. This is the first controlled treatment trial for MD. The investigators built an internet-based self-help program for MD and tested the effectiveness of mindfulness and self-monitoring in improving control over MD, comparing three groups across three measurement points in time.

Detailed Description

Objective: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a compulsive form of daydreaming that causes distress and functional impairment among tens of thousands of self-diagnosed sufferers. This is the first controlled treatment trial for MD. Method: The investigators built an internet-based self-help program for MD and tested the effectiveness of mindfulness and self-monitoring in improving control over MD, compared to internet-based support as usual (waiting-list group). Participants were randomly assigned to three groups and measured across three points in time (baseline, post-intervention, and 6 months follow-up). The investigators measured the change in daydreaming pathology (MDS-16), daydreaming frequency (DDFS), and daydreaming functioning (DWSAS), alongside changes in psychiatric symptoms (BSI), and intervention outcome (OQ). Changes in mindful attention and awareness skills, compliance with program requirements, and feedback to the program were also measured.

Conditions

Internet-Based Intervention; Psychological Intervention; Intervention Study

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

The Full Intervention (FI) group

The full intervention (FI) group received a psycho-education module about MD and its addictive behavior mechanism, a motivation enhancement module based on motivational interviewing, mindfulness modules, and self-monitoring modules.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness and self-monitoring

Intervention Type: OTHER

An 8-weeks internet-based self-guided intervention program, accompanied by e-mail. The content of the intervention and training modules comprised texts, illustrations, explanatory video and audio lectures, as well as interactive worksheets embedded in each week's lesson. Typically, a lesson started with a textual description of its target and duration. Then, participants received a summary of what had been taught thus far, and finally, a novel technique or skill was introduced. Each lesson required about 60 minutes to complete. Users had open access to web pages of previous lessons. Upon completion of each lesson, participants received a list of home assignments to practice during the following week. Our internet-based program featured a notification and download center containing the program's materials and pertinent messages from the researchers.

The partial intervention (PI) group

The partial intervention (PI) group received an intervention identical to the FI group (a psycho-education module about MD and its addictive behavior mechanism, a motivation enhancement module based on motivational interviewing, mindfulness modules) with the exclusion of the self-monitoring modules.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness

Intervention Type: OTHER

An 8-weeks internet-based self-guided intervention program, accompanied by e-mail. The content of the intervention and training modules comprised texts, illustrations, explanatory video and audio lectures, as well as interactive worksheets embedded in each week's lesson. Typically, a lesson started with a textual description of its target and duration. Then, participants received a summary of what had been taught thus far, and finally, a novel technique or skill was introduced. Each lesson required about 60 minutes to complete. Users had open access to web pages of previous lessons. Upon completion of each lesson, participants received a list of home assignments to practice during the following week. Our internet-based program featured a notification and download center containing the program's materials and pertinent messages from the researchers.

Waiting List (WL) group

Waiting List (WL) group did not undergo any intervention during the study period. However, WL participants were told that the program will commence in three months. During their waiting time participants were instructed to reduce their daydreaming activity to the best of their ability. Since all participants were recruited for this study from an online support forum (that is not part of this research design), the investigators labeled WL as the Internet Support as Usual (ISAU) group.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness and self-monitoring

An 8-weeks internet-based self-guided intervention program, accompanied by e-mail. The content of the intervention and training modules comprised texts, illustrations, explanatory video and audio lectures, as well as interactive worksheets embedded in each week's lesson. Typically, a lesson started with a textual description of its target and duration. Then, participants received a summary of what had been taught thus far, and finally, a novel technique or skill was introduced. Each lesson required about 60 minutes to complete. Users had open access to web pages of previous lessons. Upon completion of each lesson, participants received a list of home assignments to practice during the following week. Our internet-based program featured a notification and download center containing the program's materials and pertinent messages from the researchers.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Online therapeutic intervention for maladaptive daydreaming based on mindfulness

An 8-weeks internet-based self-guided intervention program, accompanied by e-mail. The content of the intervention and training modules comprised texts, illustrations, explanatory video and audio lectures, as well as interactive worksheets embedded in each week's lesson. Typically, a lesson started with a textual description of its target and duration. Then, participants received a summary of what had been taught thus far, and finally, a novel technique or skill was introduced. Each lesson required about 60 minutes to complete. Users had open access to web pages of previous lessons. Upon completion of each lesson, participants received a list of home assignments to practice during the following week. Our internet-based program featured a notification and download center containing the program's materials and pertinent messages from the researchers.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Maladaptive daydreaming treatment program (MDTP); Maladaptive daydreaming treatment program lite (MDTP)

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age above 18 years
• MD diagnosis
• Not being in any concurrent treatment for MD
• English fluent
• Daily access to the internet, and to a device with internet access
• Give informed consent to the study
• Respondents who reported being on a stable dose of medication for at least three months could take part in the study provided that they did not change their dosages while participating in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

• Age under 18 years
• No MD diagnosis
• In concurrent psychology therapy for MD
• Not fluent in English
• Not having a daily internet access
• Taking medication for less than three months

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Haifa

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Eli Somer

Professor Eli Somer

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Oren Herscu, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel

Eli Somer, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel

Nirit Soffer-Dudek, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Locations

University of Haifa

Haifa, , Israel

Countries

Israel

Other Identifiers

035/18

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id