NCT04213859

Emotional Processes in VR Exposure Treatment for Flight Phobia

Emotional Processes During a Randomized Controlled Trial of Virtual Reality Exposure Treatment for Flight Phobia

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 84 (actual)
• Sponsor: Idan Moshe Aderka · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will assess emotional processes and their relation to treatment outcomes during Virtual reality exposure therapy for Flight Phobia. The researchers hypothesize treatment outcomes will be associated with positive changes in emotional constructs

Detailed description

Emotional constructs and emotion regulation capacities play a central role in the severity of anxiety disorders and are directly related to treatment outcomes in different anxiety disorders. In this study we will examine the relation between positive and negative affect, emotion regulation, emotional instability, emotional differentiation, experiential avoidance and therapy outcomes in participants undergoing Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Flight Phobia. We assume that treatment outcomes will be positively related to changes in the regulation, management and experience of emotions.

Conditions

• Fear of Flying

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	VRET - Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy	VRET will include 4 weekly 1-hour sessions over the course of 4 weeks. The treatment protocol is based on the Virtual Reality (VR) treatment manual guidelines (Rothbaum \& Hodges, 1997,1999) and includes psychoeducation, anxiety management training, cognitive restructuring and exposure. The first therapy session focuses on creating an individually-tailored conceptualization and treatment plan. Following this process, participant and therapist conduct a short introductory VR flight exposure simulation to familiarize the participant with the VRET apparatus. The VRET apparatus is an advanced, large-scale VR system that allows maximal immersion within the virtual environment. The second, third and fourth sessions include psychoeducation, relaxation training, cognitive restructuring and individually-tailored VR exposures (the therapist can manipulate the turbulence level and other flight-related variables to fit participants' fears and current progress).

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-12-24
• Primary completion: 2023-09-01
• Completion: 2023-09-01
• First posted: 2019-12-30
• Last updated: 2023-12-05

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Israel