Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Outpatients Trial
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Outpatients
National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic
30 participants
Mar 20, 2024
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study focuses on patients receiving treatment in outpatient psychiatry or clinical psychology settings, utilizing a within-subject design for comparison. Patients first complete informed consent and baseline questionnaires and are placed on a waiting list for five weeks. After this period, they are reassigned to the active (experimental) group, which will receive five sessions of exposure therapy in virtual reality over a subsequent five-week period. The treatment effect will be evaluated using pre/post assessments, as well as monitoring adherence to exposure and response prevention assignments.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria2
- Diagnosis of OCD (F42) using currently valid DSM-V and ICD-11
- Fluent in Czech
Exclusion Criteria6
- Any other psychiatric, neurological and serious somatic illness
- Substance abuse
- Psychotropic medication (e.g. benzodiazepines) except antidepressants, antipsychotic medication and hypnotics.
- Contradictions to using a virtual reality (e.g., epilepsy, balance problems)
- Pregnancy
- Cardiostimulator and mental implants
Interventions
Participants complete five 30-40-minute sessions of exposure therapy administered via a virtual reality headset once a week. The exposure involves exposure to various symptom-provoking scenarios in the virtual house environment. Scenarios can be adjusted to distinct OCD dimensions: contamination/cleaning, fear-of-harm/checking symmetry/ordering, and also to symptoms of hoarding. Stimuli can be also freely combined across different dimensions, so that the scenarios fit the individual needs.
The patients are assigned to a waitlist period for 5 weeks. During this period they are not allowed to change any treatment (phramacotherapy and/or psychoterapy as usual) started prior to the trial.
Locations(1)
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NCT07206199