Can group motivational interviewing help medical students reduce their social media addiction?
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN32557313 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN32557313 |
| Sponsor | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
| Funder | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
- Submission date
- 24/03/2026
- Registration date
- 30/03/2026
- Last edited
- 30/03/2026
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Social media use is used globally and is also commonly used among medical students. However, excessive overusage of social media may affect their physical and mental wellbeing and disrupt their work and relationships. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of group motivational interviewing, a group counselling approach that facilitates behavioural change, to reduce social media addiction among medical students.
Who can participate?
Year 3 medical students at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) who are currently enrolled in clinical rotation postings are invited to join this study.
What does the study involve?
Participants will be allocated by their respective clinical rotation groups. Some groups will receive group motivational interviewing and the others will receive the mini tutorial sessions on social media addiction.
Both groups received three sessions, each lasting 30 minutes to 1 hour. All sessions will be conducted in seminar rooms and are face-to-face sessions.
Participants will also be required to provide information via questionnaires about their social media usage and habits at three time points: before sessions, after sessions and two months later.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may work alongside their peers to improve their awareness of their social media use and learn ways to manage it. There are minimal risks to participating. Participants are allowed to withdraw at any time and may skip any questions they do not wish to answer.
Where is the study run from?
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) (Malaysia)
When is the study starting and how is it expected to run for?
October 2024 to July 2025
Who is funding the study?
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) (Malaysia)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Leonard Lei Yik Chuan, 22010302@siswa.unimas.my
Contact information
Principal investigator, Scientific, Public
University Malaysia Sarawak
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Kota Samarahan
Sarawak
Kuching
94300
Malaysia
 ORCID ID |
0000-0003-1301-210X |
|---|---|
| Phone | +60 (0)82581000 |
| 22010302@siswa.unimas.my |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Allocation | Non-randomized controlled trial |
| Masking | Open (masking not used) |
| Control | Active |
| Assignment | Parallel |
| Purpose | Prevention |
| Scientific title | Efficacy of group motivational interviewing among medical students with social media addiction: a quasi-experimental open-label study |
| Study objectives | |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 14/12/2023, Medical Research Ethics Commitee (University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Kuching, 94300, Malaysia; +60 (0)82581222; medicalethics@unimas.my), ref: FME/23/69 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Social media addiction among medical students |
| Intervention | This is a quasi-experimental, open-label study conducted among Year 3 medical students at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Participants are recruited from four sequential clinical medicine rotation groups. Allocation is performed at the group level based on rotation postings to reduce cross-contamination between groups. Two cohorts are assigned to the intervention groups and two cohorts to the control groups. The intervention groups receive group motivational interviewing (GMI), delivered in three sessions. Each session lasts between 30 minutes and 1 hour and is conducted face-to-face in seminar rooms by a researcher trained in motivational interviewing. The intervention is based on motivational interviewing principles and the transtheoretical model of behavioural change. The control groups receive three 1-hour mini tutorial sessions on social media addiction, delivered face-to-face by the same researcher in the same setting. Participants are aware of their group allocation, as blinding is not feasible due to the nature of the behavioural intervention. Outcome measures are assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), immediately post-intervention, and at 2-month follow-up. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
|
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
|
| Completion date | 10/07/2025 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 0 Days |
| Upper age limit | 100 Days |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 131 |
| Total final enrolment | 126 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Medical students with a smartphone or tablet |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Prior motivational interviewing training 2. Substance abuse for the past 6 months and active psychiatric or psychological treatment for any mental health conditions (e.g., social media addiction, psychotic or neurotic disorders) |
| Date of first enrolment | 28/10/2024 |
| Date of final enrolment | 03/07/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Malaysia
Study participating centres
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|
Editorial Notes
30/03/2026: Study’s existence confirmed by the Medical Research Ethics Committee, University of Malaysia Sarawak.
