Targeting Internet Addiction Through Body Awareness Psychotherapy: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions and Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Background: Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is increasingly recognized as a behavioral addiction linked to deficits in executive functioning, emotion regulation, boredom susceptibility, and impaired time perception. Emerging therapies such as body awareness psychotherapy (BAP) aim to improve cognitive and emotional self-regulation through embodied mindfulness. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of BAP in reducing internet addiction and related issues with time perception and boredom, focusing specifically on the mediating roles of executive functions and emotion regulation.

Materials and methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 university students (aged 18-30) diagnosed with IAD. Participants were assigned to either the intervention group, which received BAP (n = 30), or the control group, which participated in general psychological discussions (n = 30). Over 8 weeks, the BAP group received structured training in body literacy, interoception, and self-regulation. Assessments included Chen's Internet addiction scale, the multidimensional state boredom scale, the emotion regulation difficulties scale, the time perception task, the Stroop task, and the Iowa gambling task. Mediation analyses were performed using bootstrapped structural equation modeling.

Results: BAP significantly reduced levels of internet addiction, boredom, and decision-making deficits (p < 0.001). It also improved time perception and executive functions. Mediation analyses confirmed that improvements in executive functions-cognitive flexibility, impulse control, and response inhibition-and emotion regulation, significantly mediated the relationship between BAP and reduced internet addiction (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: BAP is an effective intervention for reducing internet addiction and enhancing executive function and emotional regulation. Its efficacy is mediated by improvements in cognitive function, impulsivity, decision-making, and emotion regulation, making it a promising tool for addressing behavioral addictions.

Keywords: body awareness psychotherapy; cognitive function; emotion regulation; internet addiction; time perception.