Clinical trial NCT04975854: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Acrophobia
Official title: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Versus No Treatment for Acrophobia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Specific Phobia
Acrophobia
Fear of Heights
Anxiety Disorders
Keywords: virtual reality exposure therapy
specific phobia
acrophobia
Lead sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-07-26
Enrollment: 43
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 64
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) as a treatment for specific phobia (acrophobia). The study will randomly assign 42 participants with acrophobia to one of two conditions: a) the experimental condition (consisting of 3 sessions of virtual reality exposure) or b) a control condition. Both groups will receive short information session about general principles of exposure therapy before the start of the study. After the end of the study, the waitlist group will be invited to attend the short version (one or two-sessions) of the VRET. Both groups will receive a final follow-up questionnaires 2 months after the last session.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* individual meeting ICD-10 criteria for diagnosis of specific phobia
* fluent in Czech

Exclusion Criteria:

* currently receiving psychological treatment for acrophobia
* psychotropic medication (unless on stable dosage for the previous 1 month and stabilized for the duration of the study)
* another severe mental disorder, such as bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder
* contradictions to using a virtual reality (e.g., epilepsy, balance problems)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Visual Height Intolerance Severity Scale (vHISS)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Score)
measure: Visual Height Intolerance Severity Scale (vHISS)
timeFrame: 2-months Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Score)
measure: Severity Measure for Specific Phobia-Adult (SMSP-A)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Score)
measure: Severity Measure for Specific Phobia-Adult (SMSP-A)
timeFrame: 2-months Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Score)
measure: The IAPT phobia scale-avoidance
timeFrame: 2-Weeks In-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Score)
measure: The IAPT phobia scale-avoidance
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Score)
measure: The IAPT phobia scale-avoidance
timeFrame: 2-months Post-Treatment (Controlling for Immediate Post-Treatment Score)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Six-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Sessions
measure: Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS)
timeFrame: Through study completion, an average of 1 months. During In-Sessions: week 1-3 (reported repeatedly during each session in response to presented exposure situations).
measure: Anxiety Hierarchy
timeFrame: Immediately Post-Treatment (Controlling for Baseline Score)
Other outcomes:
measure: The Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-First Session
measure: Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ)
timeFrame: Immediately Post-First Session
Locations:
city: Klecany
country: Czechia
facility: National Institute of Mental Health
Study officials:
References: