NCT05982158

Avatar-mediated Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Persisting Experiences of Hearing Voices

Remotely Delivered Avatar-mediated Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Persisting Auditory Hallucinations: Randomised Controlled Superiority Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 212 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Swinburne University of Technology · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a new psychological therapy, Avatar Therapy, to the current standard therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in improving outcomes in people living with psychotic disorders who have persisting experiences of hearing voices (auditory verbal hallucinations, AVHs).

Detailed description

Continually hearing critical, abusive or threatening voices (auditory verbal hallucinations, AVHs) is a major persisting and disabling symptom of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Current treatments have universally had only modest impact. In preliminary trials, a brief digitally supported treatment, using avatars to recreate AVHs during therapy, has produced some of the largest reductions in AVH severity seen to date. To definitively test the superiority of this innovative treatment, AMETHYST is a randomised controlled trial comparing avatar therapy to current recommended best practice treatment, CBT, for medication-resistant AVHs.

Conditions

• Auditory Hallucination
• Psychotic Disorders
• Schizophrenia and Related Disorders

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Avatar therapy	Seven 50-minute therapy sessions conducted by videoconferencing.
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)	Seven 50-minute therapy sessions conducted by videoconferencing.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-08-08
• Primary completion: 2026-12-01
• Completion: 2027-06-01
• First posted: 2023-08-08
• Last updated: 2024-11-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Australia