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Effect of virtual reality exposure therapy on social participation in people with a psychotic disorder (VRETp) : Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Pot-Kolder, Roos ; Veling, Wim ; Geraets, Chris LU and van der Gaag, Mark (2016) In Trials 17(1).
Abstract

Background: Many patients with a psychotic disorder participate poorly in society. When psychotic disorders are in partial remission, feelings of paranoia, delusions of reference, social anxiety and self-stigmatization often remain at diminished severity and may lead to avoidance of places and people. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an evidence-based treatment for several anxiety disorders. For patients with a psychotic disorder, the VRETp was developed to help them experience exposure to feared social situations. The present study aims to investigate the effects of VRETp on social participation in real life among patients with a psychotic disorder. Methods/design: The study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial with... (More)

Background: Many patients with a psychotic disorder participate poorly in society. When psychotic disorders are in partial remission, feelings of paranoia, delusions of reference, social anxiety and self-stigmatization often remain at diminished severity and may lead to avoidance of places and people. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an evidence-based treatment for several anxiety disorders. For patients with a psychotic disorder, the VRETp was developed to help them experience exposure to feared social situations. The present study aims to investigate the effects of VRETp on social participation in real life among patients with a psychotic disorder. Methods/design: The study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial with two conditions: the active condition, in which participants receive the virtual reality treatment together with treatment as usual (TAU), and the waiting list condition, in which participants receive TAU only. The two groups are compared at baseline, at 3 months posttreatment and at 6 months follow-up. All participants on the waiting list are also offered the virtual reality treatment after the follow-up measurements are completed. The primary outcome is social participation. Secondary outcomes are quality of life, interaction anxiety, depression and social functioning in general. Moderator and mediator analyses are conducted with stigma, cognitive schemata, cognitive biases, medication adherence, simulator sickness and presence in virtual reality. If effective, a cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted. Discussion: Results from the posttreatment measurement can be considered strong empirical indicators of the effectiveness of VRETp. The 6-month follow-up data may provide reliable documentation of the long-term effects of the treatment on the outcome variables. Data from pre-treatment and mid-treatment can be used to reveal possible pathways of change. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN12929657. Date of registration: 8 September 2015.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Exposure, Interaction anxiety, Paranoia, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Social participation, Therapy, Virtual reality
in
Trials
volume
17
issue
1
article number
25
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:84954147996
  • pmid:26762123
ISSN
1745-6215
DOI
10.1186/s13063-015-1140-0
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Pot-Kolder et al.
id
05c7669b-9926-4a6b-8a15-f5ec2eede047
date added to LUP
2024-10-21 10:46:22
date last changed
2025-05-20 08:36:31
@article{05c7669b-9926-4a6b-8a15-f5ec2eede047,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Many patients with a psychotic disorder participate poorly in society. When psychotic disorders are in partial remission, feelings of paranoia, delusions of reference, social anxiety and self-stigmatization often remain at diminished severity and may lead to avoidance of places and people. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an evidence-based treatment for several anxiety disorders. For patients with a psychotic disorder, the VRETp was developed to help them experience exposure to feared social situations. The present study aims to investigate the effects of VRETp on social participation in real life among patients with a psychotic disorder. Methods/design: The study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial with two conditions: the active condition, in which participants receive the virtual reality treatment together with treatment as usual (TAU), and the waiting list condition, in which participants receive TAU only. The two groups are compared at baseline, at 3 months posttreatment and at 6 months follow-up. All participants on the waiting list are also offered the virtual reality treatment after the follow-up measurements are completed. The primary outcome is social participation. Secondary outcomes are quality of life, interaction anxiety, depression and social functioning in general. Moderator and mediator analyses are conducted with stigma, cognitive schemata, cognitive biases, medication adherence, simulator sickness and presence in virtual reality. If effective, a cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted. Discussion: Results from the posttreatment measurement can be considered strong empirical indicators of the effectiveness of VRETp. The 6-month follow-up data may provide reliable documentation of the long-term effects of the treatment on the outcome variables. Data from pre-treatment and mid-treatment can be used to reveal possible pathways of change. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN12929657. Date of registration: 8 September 2015.</p>}},
  author       = {{Pot-Kolder, Roos and Veling, Wim and Geraets, Chris and van der Gaag, Mark}},
  issn         = {{1745-6215}},
  keywords     = {{Exposure; Interaction anxiety; Paranoia; Psychosis; Schizophrenia; Social participation; Therapy; Virtual reality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Trials}},
  title        = {{Effect of virtual reality exposure therapy on social participation in people with a psychotic disorder (VRETp) : Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-1140-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s13063-015-1140-0}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}