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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03001154

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Social Phobia Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Behavior Therapy Mental Disorders Phobia, Social Phobic Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Psychology

Stockholm, 10691, Sweden

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

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

Treatment and study plan

Face-to-face Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Behavioral

In session, systematic, hierarchical exposure to feared stimuli with therapist.

Internet-administered Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Behavioral

Therapist-guided, Internet-administered Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy self-help program

Waiting-list

Other

Weekly assessments of public speaking

Primary outcomes

  1. 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 outcomes

  1. Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Self-Report

    Time frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21

    Self-rating of general social anxiety

  2. Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale

    Time frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21

    Self-rating of fear of negative evaluation

  3. Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item

    Time frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21

    Self-rating of depressive symptoms

  4. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item

    Time frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21

    Self-rating of general anxiety symptoms

  5. Brunnsviken Brief Quality of life scale

    Time frame: Change from baseline: Week 0, 5 and 21

    Self-rating of quality of life

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Stockholm University

Other

Registry information

Acronym: VRETORIK

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2018
First posted
Dec 22, 2016
Registry last updated
Mar 7, 2019

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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