The Use of a Virtual Reality Intervention on Stigma, Empathy and Attitudes Towards People With Psychotic Disorders

Institute of Mental Health, Singapore

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Mental Disorder

Treatments: Other: VR intervention; Other: VR control intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05982548

2023/00027

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a VR intervention on (1) stigma, (2) empathy and (3) attitudes towards those experiencing mental disorders.

Participants will review a VR intervention, and complete questionnaires at pre-test, post-test and one month follow-up.

Researchers will compare the VR intervention with a control VR intervention to evaluate the varying effects on stigma, empathy and attitudes towards those experiencing mental disorders.

Enrollment: 180 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 99 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants who are aged at least 21 years old
• Employed by the Institute of Mental Health as a physician, allied health professional or nurse.
• understands English
• work directly with patients.

Exclusion criteria

• unable to use virtual reality interventions due to reasons including motion sickness, disorientation, nausea and vomiting.
• history of epilepsy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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180 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

The VR intervention was created using the Unreal Engine software (Unreal Engine, 2022). The VR intervention includes the scenario of a home. Participants will view the home as a first person character and experience psychotic phenomena including auditory hallucinations. The intervention will be delivered in one setting and lasts no more than seven minutes. It will be disseminated using smartphone inserted into VR headset equivalent of google cardboard.

Treatment:

Other: VR intervention

VR control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The VR control group will view the scenario of the same home without the simulated visual and auditory hallucinations.

Treatment:

Other: VR control intervention