The effect of the healthy internet use program based on the transtheoretical model supported by mindfulness exercises on problematic internet use, social skills, and self-efficacy in adolescents

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) based healthy internet use program supported by mindfulness exercises on problematic internet use, social emotional learning skills and self-efficacy levels in adolescents. This research is a parallel group randomized controlled experimental study. This study was conducted at Namik Kemal Secondary School between November 11, 2024 and April 16, 2025. A total of 74 students, 37 in the intervention group and 37 in the control group, were included in the study. Internet Addiction Scale, Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, Healthy Internet Use Behavior Change Stage Diagnostic Form were used to collect the data. The TTM-Based Healthy Internet Use Program supported by mindfulness exercises was applied for 8 weeks to the students in the intervention group. No intervention was applied to the control group. Approval was obtained from KTO Karatay University Drug and Non-Medical Device Research Ethics Committee and written informed consent was obtained from students and parents. Mann-Whitney U test, Friedman test and Student-Newman-Keuls, and chi-square analysis of homogeneity between groups in terms of independent variables (multivariate chi-square, chi-square with Yates correction, Fisher's exact test) were used in the evaluation of the data. When the intervention and control groups were compared, it was determined that the difference between the post-test and 3-month follow-up total mean scores of the Internet Addiction Scale (pη2=0.451), Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale (pη2=0.367) and Self-Efficacy Scale for Children (pη2=0.281) was significant (p<0.05). The difference between the mean scores of the students in the intervention group on the Internet Addiction Scale (pη2=0.512), Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale (pη2=0.489) and Self-Efficacy Scale for Children (pη2=0.308) pre-test, post-test and 3-month follow-up total scores was found to be significant (p<0.05). It was found that there was a significant difference between the post-test and 3-month follow-up of the students in the intervention and control groups in the behavior stages according to the healthy Internet Use Behavior Change Stage Diagnosis Form (Cramer's V=0,536; Cramer's V =0,355) (p<0,05). It was determined that the TTM-based healthy internet use program supported by Mindfulness exercises decreased the level of internet addiction of students and increased their social emotional learning skills and self-efficacy level. In this direction, it is recommended that nurses should benefit from structured programs including TTM approach and Mindfulness exercises in programs to be carried out to reduce internet addiction for adolescents, especially within the scope of school health