Effects of low-intensity secondary theory-based Chatbot intervention for adolescents with digital addictions: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Adolescence is a unique and vulnerable stage, and mental health problems and digital addictions such as internet gaming disorder (IGD) and social media addiction (SMA) are arising among adolescents. The current study thus aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a secondary low-intensity stage of change (SoC)- and motivation interviewing (MI)-based Chatbot-assisted intervention in reducing common digital addictions, sedentary lifestyles, and mental distress, compared to an active control group. We also examined whether the treatment effects are mediated by the perceived autonomy and competence. Methods The proposed study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing a five-week low-intensity SoC and MI-based Chatbot-assisted group with a psycho-educational control group both via WhatsApp. The expected number of participants with clinical digital addiction symptoms is 330. The primary outcome is the composite score of IGD and SMA, while the secondary outcomes include sedentary lifestyle, quality of life, psychological distress, and eHealth literacy. Perceived autonomy and competence are set as mediators. The evaluation involves baseline evaluation (T0), post-program evaluation (T1), and a 3-month follow-up evaluation (T2). In addition to the psycho-educational materials received by the control group, the intervention group will receive the SoC- and MI-based chatbot intervention via WhatsApp. Discussion This proposed RCT study may fill critical knowledge and service gaps by evaluating an evidence-based and Chatbot-assisted intervention program for at-risk adolescents. By applying an active control with psycho-educational materials, the current study may determine whether digital interventions offer a more cost-effective and scalable alternative to traditional information-based methods. The findings may provide a scalable and sustainable intervention for adolescents with common digital addictions and mental health problems, especially in resource-limited settings. Trial registration The RCT protocol was pre-registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT06821373) on February 09, 2025.