EFFICACY OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY IN MANAGEMENT OF INTERNET ADDICTION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN YOUNG ADULTS

The previous literature has provided insight about the role of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in reducing internet addiction and accompanying psychological distress in adults. This study was conducted with an objective to assess efficacy of CBT in reducing internet addiction and psychological distress in young adults. The sample included the 89 young adults from the 3-campuses of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur situated in Bahawalpur city who met criteria of internet addiction. Forty five of those young adults were randomized to experimental group and 44 were randomized to the control group. The experimental group received the weekly sessions of CBT for a duration of 4-6 weeks depending upon the severity of symptoms while the control group did not receive any therapy for the whole duration of the trial. The results demonstrated that experimental group exhibited a significant decrease in internet addiction & psychological distress, whereas the control group experienced a significant increase in internet addiction but psychological distress did not show a significant increase for control group. The findings suggest that efficacy and cross cultural adaptation of CBT are vital for reducing internet addiction and psychological distress in young adults thereby managing the symptoms of internet addiction in the young children.