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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04423783

Gamification in the Treatment of Spider Phobia

Mobile applications are more and more considered when implementing programs for treating mental disorders. The study aims to reduce avoidance and fear of spiders in spider-fearful individuals by combining exposure principles with gamification elements (e.g. narrative background, level progression, points, feedback). We investigate the efficacy of the gamified app in a remote online-therapy context.

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Key information

Conditions

Spider Phobia Alzheimer Disease Anxiety Disorders Arachnophobia Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Dementia Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders Neurodegenerative Diseases Tauopathies

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Participants must

  • be 18 years or older,
  • SPQ score ≥ 14
  • BDI-II score ≤ 18

Exclusion criteria

Participants will be deemed ineligible if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria or

  • are allergic to spiders or bee stings,
  • are currently undergoing psychotherapeutic and/or psychopharmacological treatments,
  • are experiencing current psychosis, mania, or substance abuse, or
  • successfully complete 8 or more of 12 possible BAT steps at baseline (to ensure that participants are indeed spider fearful)
  • are at higher risk from Covid-19 or
  • participated in a pilot study in 2019.

Treatment and study plan

7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted)

Behavioral

Confrontation with spiders via gamified app

Other names: Spider Gamification App

Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)

Behavioral

Massed exposure therapy over the course of one single session, applied in a remote-online context

Other names: Online exposure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT)

    Time frame: Baseline; (after one-session exposure if applied); Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

    Scores range from 0 ("participant refuses to enter the room with spider") to 12 ("participant holds the spider at least for 20 sec").

  2. Change in spider fear (Spider Phobia Questionnaire; SPQ)

    Time frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

    The scale ranges from 0-31. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.

  3. Change in spider fear: Spider-Anxiety Questionnaire (FAS)

    Time frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

    The scale ranges from 0-108. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in disgust before and after playing the app

    Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game

    Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced disgust; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app

  2. Change in arousal before and after playing the app

    Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game

    Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced arousal; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app

  3. Change in anxiety before and after playing the app

    Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game

    Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced anxiety; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app

Other outcomes

  1. Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II)

    Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

    Measures severity of depression; The scale ranges from 0-63: 0-13 minimal depressive symptoms; 14-19 mild symptoms; 20-28 moderate symptoms; 29-63 severe symptoms.

  2. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI)

    Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

    Measures clinically relevant psychological symptoms.

  3. German version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8)

    Time frame: (after one-session exposure if applied), Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

    Standardised satisfaction measurement

  4. Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS)

    Time frame: Post-treatment (1-week after baseline)

    Questionnaire assessing the quality of new user-oriented health applications

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Anke Haberkamp

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Testing a Gamified App to Reduce Avoidance and Fear of Spiders in Spider Phobia

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jun 9, 2020
Registry last updated
Nov 8, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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