Virtual Reality Exposure for Socially Anxious Adolescents

Summary

Overall in this project, the primary goal is to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality exposure (VRE) for adolescents with elevated social anxiety using a three-arm randomized controlled trial: (1) virtual reality exposure (VRE); (2) in vivo exposure (IVE); and (3) waitlist (WL) - the control condition. It is predicted that both VRE and IVE will be more successful in decreasing social anxiety symptoms than the WL condition at post-assessment and that VRE will be as effective as in vivo in reducing social anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, it is expected that there will be no difference between the two active conditions in the long term (at 3- months \& 6-months follow up). Similar results are expected in the secondary outcome measures, intended to capture the participants' general well-being. Moreover, the study has the following (secondary) objectives: * To elucidate potential working mechanisms of VRE and IVE * To identify predictors of adolescents' response to VRE and IVE * To assess to what extent adolescents accept VRE and IVE and how they experience it

Eligibility

Inclusion:

* Elevated levels of social anxiety (as per the Social Phobia Inventory; ≥ 19)
* Fluent in Dutch
* 12-16 years old

Exclusion

* Severe social anxiety disorder
* Severe depression
* Psychotic symptoms
* Severe suicidal thoughts and / or severe self-harm
* Severe substance use
* Benzodiazepine use and / or a change of psychoactive medication usage (dose, type)
* Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis
* Current ongoing psychological treatment (or waitlisted) for anxiety disorders and or depression
* Other urgent psychopathologies and/or mismatch between participants' clinical presentation and the offered training
* Exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder in the past 2 years
* Another person from the same household is participating in the study
* Eligible for VR as per the following criteria:
* History of extreme/severe motion sickness (e.g., car sick, sea-sick) and / or experiencing extreme/severe symptoms of motion sickness during 3D movies
* Stereoscopic vision problem or a balance problem that would hinder the VR experience;
* History of seizures, seizure disorder or epilepsy

Conditions2

Browse More Trials