Cybersex addiction, understood as a subtype of Internet addiction or a manifestation of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder, is a growing phenomenon. Recent studies developed by our research group have revealed that about 10% of young people in Spain could be at risk of suffering or already suffer from this problem, which can lead to consequences beyond the addiction or compulsive behavior itself, such as low self-esteem, emotional problems, sexual dysfunction, infidelity, breakups, social isolation, development of paraphilias, increase of risky sexual behavior, problems with the law, etc.. Although some studies have been carried out so far, especially on the prevalence and characterization of the sociodemographic and psychological profile of people with this disorder, psychological intervention programs for this problem have hardly been developed, and studies on the effectiveness of such programs are very scarce. Furthermore, seeking psychological help for people with this type of problem is infrequent due in part to the stigma associated with sexual addictions. In this sense, e-health approaches can reach a potential audience of users who would not access treatment if they had to physically visit a clinic. For this reason, the present project seeks to evaluate the efficacy of an online intervention aimed at the treatment of cybersex addiction or online sexual compulsive behavior disorder in the general population. For this purpose, a sample of 100 patients with a risk or pathological profile will be randomly assigned to an experimental (n=50) or control group (n=50) with similar characteristics. All of them will undergo an online assessment. The experimental group will receive an individualized online program of twelve one-hour sessions. The study will be based on an experimental design of comparison between groups (experimental-control) with pretest-posttest-follow-up evaluation at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. For this purpose, descriptive and differential statistical analyses (t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA), Cohen's d test for effect size and regression analysis will be performed.
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Semi-Structured Clinical Interview for the assessment of Compulsive Sexual Behavior (SSCI-CSB) (Castro-Calvo et al., in review)
Timeframe: Baseline; Upon treatment completion, an average of 12 weeks; Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Internet Sex Screening Test (ISST) Delmonico (1997)
Timeframe: Baseline; Upon treatment completion, an average of 12 weeks; Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (Reid, Garos & Carpenter, 2011)
Timeframe: Baseline; Upon treatment completion, an average of 12 weeks; Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Sexual Compulsivity Scale (Kalichman & Rompa, 1995)
Timeframe: Baseline; Upon treatment completion, an average of 12 weeks; Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI) (Coleman, Miner, Ohlerking & Raymond, 2001)
Timeframe: Baseline; Upon treatment completion, an average of 12 weeks; Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes of Sexual Behavior Scale (CBOSB) (McBride, Reece & Perera, 2006)
Timeframe: Baseline; Upon treatment completion, an average of 12 weeks; Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months