PID2021-127353OB-I00

Moreover, this disorder carries with it some dangers that can affect the integrity of other individuals, such as sextortion, grooming, the development of threatening paraphilia, or the modelling of undesirable sexual practices. However, there are currently very few therapeutic alternatives that have proven to be effective. Specifically, for the disorder in which we are discussing, there is not a single study in existence that has analysed the effectiveness of a structured psychological intervention program for cybersex addiction with a relevant sample of patients, a control group and a one-year post-treatment follow-up.

The main goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of an online group intervention (e-health) designed for the treatment of cybersex addiction. Specifically, the goal is to adapt a pre-existing individual cognitive-behavioural intervention programme to a group format, comparing the effectiveness of the group format to that of the individual format and a control group, with several follow-ups during the year after the end of the intervention. On the other hand, the study aims to discover the predictors of therapeutic change achieved with the intervention and of the maintenance of these changes.

This study will be based on a controlled experimental design of comparison between groups (2 experimental groups and 1 wait-list control group), pre-test/post-test/follow-up that allows for the assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed treatment program (Group Experimental Group, GEG) versus the condition of another individual experimental group (IEG) and a wait-list control group that did not receive any type of intervention (CG).

). Taking into account possible drop-outs, a sample of 116 patients will be used as a starting point (men and women) with the intention of having 28 individuals for each of the intervention groups (group and individual) and another 28 for the control group, 84 patients in total. The exclusion criteria include psychotic symptoms, delays in cognition or any other serious mental condition that could hinder the course of therapy. Both the group and individual interventions will include 12 sessions with the same therapeutic components.

Using the SPSS software both a descriptive analysis and a repeated measures analysis of variance will be carried out using Cohen’s d statistic for the effect size of each intervention. On the other hand, using the RStudio software, both a linear regression analysis and a mediation and moderation analysis will be performed in order to analyse whether any variable exerts a moderating or mediating effect on the effectiveness of the interventions. Lastly, given the temporary nature of the project, various post-intervention measures will be assessed using structural equation modelling, more concretely using polynomial Linear Growth Models (LGM).

This project aims to equip psychology clinics with a tested and cost-effective program (in terms of investment of resources) for a behavioural addiction disorder that is becoming more frequent in our society and that has a tremendous impact on the lives of those who suffer from it.

• Dr. Rafael Ballester Arnal (Universitat Jaume I, Castelló)

Universitat Jaume I de Castelló