Indonesia Conference Directory

Background: Online game addiction or internet gaming disorder is becoming a serious concern worldwide. The World Health Association (WHO) has classified gaming disorder as a mental health condition, characterized by impaired control over gaming, harmful to an individuals well-being. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a usual therapy for the disorder. Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (Spiritual-EFT/ SEFT) therapy, utilizing one-s body meridian points similar to acupuncture, using fingers instead of needles, is recently introduced to treat the disorder. Objective: The pilot study examined the effect of SEFT therapy on gaming disorder. Methods: This was a two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design using a stratified random sampling. Gamers at a private medical school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, were screened with a previously validated game addiction test. Twenty medical students who met criteria for game addiction were recruited and assigned to intervention and control groups, each consisting of 10 participants. The intervention group received one session of 15-45 minute SEFT therapy conducted by SEFT therapists. Data collected was analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test. Results: Mean pretest and posttest game addiction test scores in control group were 47.40 and 46.00 respectively, in intervention group were 44.70 and 33.60 respectively. Paired t- test analysis of the scores before and after SEFT therapy in intervention group showed p=0.009 (p<0.05), in control group showed p=0.252 (p>0.05). Independent t-test analysis measuring score changes between both groups showed p=0.007 (p<0.05). Conclusion: SEFT therapy has potentials in reducing game addiction test scores among university student gamers. The findings support testing with a larger sample.