Diaphragmatic Breathing During Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Aviophobia

University of Regensburg (UR)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Fear of Flying

Treatments: Behavioral: Diaphragmatic breathing; Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02990208

BREATH150521014

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study investigated the effect of diaphragmatic breathing as an additional coping strategy during Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in patients with aviophobia. The authors assumed that diaphragmatic breathing (DB) would lead to less fear and physiological arousal during the VRET and to an enhanced treatment outcome

Full description

Patients with aviophobia received treatment in Virtual Reality with or without DB. The authors assumed that adding DB to VRET would enhance treatment effects by reducing fear during exposure, thus improving the processing of the feared situation. The authors hypothesized that, as a result, self-efficacy would be increased in comparison to VRET alone.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age 20 to 65
• flying experience
• subjective rating of fear of flying > 60 from 100

Exclusion criteria

• pregnancy
• heart disease
• current involvement in psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

VR exposure + diaphragmatic breathing

Experimental group

Description:

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy + Diaphragmatic breathing

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Behavioral: Diaphragmatic breathing

VR exposure

Active Comparator group

Description:

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy