Terapias de tercera generación para el uso problemático de tecnologías digitales en jóvenes: una revisión de alcance
Third-Wave Therapies for Problematic Use of Digital Technologies Among Young People: A Scoping ReviewBarra lateral del artículo
Contenido principal del artículo
Introducción: El uso problemático de tecnologías digitales constituye un problema creciente de salud mental en la población joven. Las terapias de tercera generación representan una alternativa prometedora frente a las limitaciones de la terapia cognitivo-conductual clásica. Objetivo: Identificar la evidencia disponible sobre la aplicación de terapias de tercera generación en problemas de salud mental asociados al uso problemático de tecnologías digitales en jóvenes, caracterizando intervenciones, poblaciones, desenlaces y vacíos de investigación. Método: Se siguió el marco de Arksey y O'Malley y la extensión PRISMA-ScR. La búsqueda en PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink y BVS/LILACS incluyó estudios empíricos de intervención publicados entre 2021 y 2026, en inglés, español o portugués, con población de 10 a 35 años. Dos revisores realizaron el cribado y evaluación de elegibilidad de forma independiente (kappa de Cohen = 0,91). Resultados: Ocho estudios (316 participantes) cumplieron los criterios, mayoritariamente pilotos, concentrados en Asia oriental y centrados en el trastorno por juego en Internet. Predominaron las intervenciones basadas en atención plena; solo un estudio evaluó la terapia de aceptación y compromiso, y ninguno la terapia dialéctico-conductual o la centrada en la compasión. Seis estudios reportaron reducciones en indicadores de uso problemático. Conclusión: La evidencia resulta emergente y prometedora, aunque limitada por muestras pequeñas, diseños heterogéneos y ausencia de estudios latinoamericanos.
Introduction: Problematic use of digital technologies constitutes a growing mental health concern among young people. Third-wave therapies represent a promising alternative to the limitations of traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy. Objective: To identify the available evidence on the application of third-wave therapies to mental health problems associated with problematic use of digital technologies among young people, characterizing interventions, populations, outcomes, and research gaps. Method: The Arksey and O'Malley framework and the PRISMA-ScR extension were followed. Searches of PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and BVS/LILACS included empirical intervention studies published between 2021 and 2026, in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, involving participants aged 10 to 35 years. Two reviewers independently conducted the screening and eligibility assessment (Cohen's kappa = 0.91). Results: Eight studies (316 participants) met the inclusion criteria, most of which were pilot studies conducted primarily in East Asia and focused on Internet Gaming Disorder. Mindfulness-based interventions predominated; only one study evaluated Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and none evaluated Dialectical Behavior Therapy or Compassion-Focused Therapy. Six studies reported reductions in indicators of problematic use. Conclusion: The evidence is emerging and promising, although it is limited by small samples, heterogeneous study designs, and the absence of studies from Latin America.
Descargas
Detalles del artículo
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing. https://books.google.com/books?id=qsYtuwEACAAJ
Arksey, H., & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Segal, Z. V., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., & Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph077
Bowen, S., Witkiewitz, K., & Chawla, N. (2014). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for addictive behaviors. In R. A. Baer (Ed.), Mindfulness-based treatment approaches: Clinician's guide to evidence-based and applications (2nd ed., pp. 141–157). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416031-6.00007-4
Elhai, J. D., McKay, D., Yang, H., Minaya, C., Montag, C., & Asmundson, G. J. G. (2021). Health anxiety related to problematic smartphone use and gaming disorder severity during COVID-19: Fear of missing out as a mediator. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 3(1), 137–146. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.227
Fam, J. Y. (2018). Prevalence of internet gaming disorder in adolescents: A meta-analysis across three decades. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(5), 524–531. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12459
Fernandes, B., Biswas, U. N., Tan-Mansukhani, R., Vallejo, A., & Essau, C. A. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on internet use and escapism in adolescents. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 7(3), 59–65. https://doi.org/10.21134/rpcna.2020.mon.2056
Fernandez-Crespo, M., Rihuete-Galve, M. I., Sanchez-Aguadero, N., Sanchez-Sanchez, N., Gonzalez-Sanchez, J., Garcia-Yu, I. A., Lee, H.-C., & Recio-Rodriguez, J. I. (2025). Efficacy of neurofeedback-assisted mindfulness for anxiety and nomophobia in Spanish young adults: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, Article 1712564. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1712564
Gisbert-Pérez, J., Longobardi, C., Martí-Vilar, M., Mastrokoukou, S., & Badenes-Ribera, L. (2026). Prevalence of Internet gaming disorder in young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Addictive Behaviors, 174, Article 108576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108576
Hayes, S. C., & Hofmann, S. G. (2017). The third wave of cognitive behavioral therapy and the rise of process-based care. World Psychiatry, 16(3), 245–246. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20442
Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
King, D. L., Delfabbro, P. H., Billieux, J., & Potenza, M. N. (2020). Problematic online gaming and the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 9(2), 184–186. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2020.00016
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), Article 311. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030311
Levac, D., Colquhoun, H., & O’Brien, K. K. (2010). Scoping studies: Advancing the methodology. Implementation Science, 5, Article 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-5-69
Li, S., Jiang, A., Ma, X., Zhang, Z., Ni, H., Wang, H., Liu, C., Song, X., & Dong, G.-H. (2025). Transformative effects of mindfulness meditation training on the dynamic reconfiguration of executive and default mode networks in internet gaming disorder. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 5(4), Article 100485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100485
Li, X., Gao, Y., Xia, L., Tang, X., Wang, Y., Wang, Z., Zhang, J., Wang, L., Mu, L., Song, P., Li, H., Du, W., Zhong, N., Zhang, X., & Jiao, D. (2026). The effectiveness of an online acceptance and commitment therapy self-help course in reducing excessive gaming behavior through inhibitory control: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 15(1), 342–356. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00199
Liang, S., Yu, Y., Liu, S., Song, Z., & Song, L. (2025). Identifying internet addiction profiles and bridge connectors among Chinese college students and evaluating CBT vs. CBT+MBI interventions via a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 14(4), 1590–1605. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00086
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Peters, M. D. J., Godfrey, C. M., Khalil, H., McInerney, P., Parker, D., & Soares, C. B. (2015). Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 13(3), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000050
Rashidi, Z., Feili, A., & Foruzandeh, E. (2026). Comparison of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy on health anxiety in adolescents with cyberchondria. Geopsychiatry, 3, Article 100093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geopsy.2026.100093
Sequeda, G., Acosta-López, J. E., Diaz-Camargo, E., Torres-Santos, E.-A., López-Ramírez, V., & Rivera-Porras, D. (2024). Third-generation therapies for the management of psychoactive substance use in young people: Scoping review. Behavioral Sciences, 14(12), Article 1192. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121192
Stevens, M. W. R., Dorstyn, D., Delfabbro, P. H., & King, D. L. (2021). Global prevalence of gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55(6), 553–568. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867420962851
Thomas, J., AlJuraib, N., Ashour, L., & Karunavira, Dh. (2024). The mindfulness-based digital wellbeing retreat: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 14, Article 100408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100408
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O'Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., Hempel, S., Akl, E. A., Chang, C., McGowan, J., Stewart, L., Hartling, L., Aldcroft, A., Wilson, M. G., Garritty, C., ... Straus, S. E. (2018). PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
World Health Organization. (2019). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th revision). https://icd.who.int/browse11
Yang, X., & Zheng, Y. (2026). Mindfulness-based therapy for adolescent internet gaming disorder: A feasibility and pilot study. Psychiatry Research, 358, 116990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2026.116990
Yoon, A., Park, Y., Kim, M. A., Chiu, I.-M., Solomon, P., Kim, S. J., Oh, H., & Kuyken, W. (2026). A pilot study of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for internet gaming disorder among college-aged students in South Korea. Mindfulness, 17(6), 1762–1780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-026-02855-1
Zajac, K., Ginley, M. K., & Chang, R. (2020). Treatments of internet gaming disorder: A systematic review of the evidence. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 20(1), 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2020.1671824