Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Speech Anxiety Using Commercial Hardware and Software

Overview

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) is an efficacious treatment of fear and anxiety, but because of the high financial costs and technical complexity of the past generation of VR hardware, there has been no large-scale implementation of this promising treatment. The present study will investigate whether off-the-shelf, commercial VR hardware and software can be used as stimuli material to conduct in-session exposure therapy for speech anxiety. The study will recruit n=25+25 participants from the general public suffering from substantial speech anxiety, who will be randomized to either a waiting-list, or one-session VRET with a therapist, followed by four weeks of a progressive maintenance program encouraging in-vivo exposure. The waiting-list group will then receive an Internet-delivered VRET treatment program.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: May 2017

Interventions

  • Behavioral: Face-to-face Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
    • In session, systematic, hierarchical exposure to feared stimuli with therapist.
  • Behavioral: Internet-administered Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
    • Therapist-guided, Internet-administered Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy self-help program
  • Other: Waiting-list
    • Weekly assessments of public speaking

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: One-session VRET face-to-face
    • One-session Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy led by therapist (face-to-face), followed by a 4-week therapist-guided Internet-administered progressive maintenance program.
  • Experimental: Waiting-list, then Internet-administered VRET
    • 4-week waiting list, followed by therapist-guided, Internet-administered VRET with a 4-week progressive maintenance program.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Public Speaking Anxiety Scale
    • Time Frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 21
    • Self-rating of public speaking anxiety

Secondary Measures

  • Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Self-Report
    • Time Frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21
    • Self-rating of general social anxiety
  • Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale
    • Time Frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21
    • Self-rating of fear of negative evaluation
  • Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item
    • Time Frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21
    • Self-rating of depressive symptoms
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item
    • Time Frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21
    • Self-rating of general anxiety symptoms
  • Brunnsviken Brief Quality of life scale
    • Time Frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21
    • Self-rating of quality of life

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Substantial public speaking anxiety – Have access to VR-compatible smartphone (including Internet) – Can travel to Stockholm University for treatment on one occasion – Can speak and understand sufficient Swedish Exclusion Criteria:

  • Deficits in sight or balance impacting the VR-experience – A severe psychiatric disorder better treated elsewhere, including current major depression, alcohol or drug abuse, bipolarity, psychosis or similar – Active psychopharmacological treatment, unless stable for last 3 months – Other ongoing psychological treatment

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: No

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Stockholm University
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Per Carlbring, Professor – Stockholm University

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