NCT04301141

Using Virtual Reality to Treat Social Anxiety in Autistic Adolescents

Using Virtual Reality Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Series

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 5 (estimated)
• Sponsor: King's College London · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 13 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study will test the feasibility and acceptability of virtual reality assisted cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of social anxiety in autistic adolescents. Five adolescents will receive the intervention and a parent/caregiver of each adolescent will be asked to act as informants on some questionnaires and interviews.

Detailed description

Difficulties interacting with others in social situations is a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These difficulties are intensified by social anxiety - commonly experienced in autistic adolescents. A promising psychological treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), but there are constraints in its use for the autistic population. For example, CBT requires patients to imagine being in a social situation that would cause anxiety, but autistic people often experience difficulties with imagination. The use of virtual reality (VR) in CBT may help to lessen such constraints. VR uses 3D computer-generated visual environments displayed through a head-mounted display. The images are synchronised to the movements of the user such that they experience feeling immersed in the virtual scene. The virtual scene can involve social scenarios, making it an ideal tool for eliciting social anxiety in the treatment setting. The investigators can see if these virtual scenarios are indeed eliciting social anxiety by recording physiological responses (e.g. heart rate) in parallel with patients' anxiety ratings during exposure. This is important for CBT to be effective. This study will test the feasibility and acceptability of VR-assisted CBT, combined with the use of physiological measurements, in autistic adolescents experiencing social anxiety. The therapy will typically consist of 8-20 weekly sessions and will be delivered by clinical psychologists in local mental health services. Conventional outcome measures will be used and feedback from youth and their parents/caregivers will be requested. The results of this study may lead to modification of the treatment and research methods. They will inform a later pilot randomised controlled trial.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Social Anxiety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Virtual Reality Assisted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy	The intervention will be delivered in NHS services and will involve using VR to assist the delivery of conventional CBT for the treatment of social anxiety in autistic adolescents. Social situations that are commonly anxiety-evoking for this patient group will be simulated in VR and used for exposure (a typical component of CBT for social anxiety). Therapists will use a modular approach involving optional modules such as psychoeducation on anxiety in the context of ASD, managing expectations of outcome and emotional literacy training. Essential modules include rapport building, introducing the use and purpose of VR, and exposure (incorporating VR). Because CBT is delivered in routine clinical practice, the VR exposure sessions will be the main subject of interest.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-01-01
• Primary completion: 2021-09-01
• Completion: 2021-09-01
• First posted: 2020-03-10
• Last updated: 2020-09-09

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: United Kingdom