Virtual Reality Intervention for Speech Anxiety

Boston University Charles River Campus

Status: Completed

Conditions: Speech Anxiety; Public Speaking

Treatments: Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus positive mood induction; Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus negative mood induction

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06086756

7164E

Details and patient eligibility

About

Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for speech anxiety and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate whether mood state moderates outcome to a brief VR exposure intervention.

Full description

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare outcomes of VR exposure therapy for college students with public speaking anxiety following a positive or negative mood induction. The overarching aim of the present study is to determine whether mood state prior to engaging in a brief VR exposure therapy session for public speaking anxiety impacts treatment outcomes.

The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated public speaking anxiety, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on a public speaking anxiety scale will be assigned to a positive or negative mood induction condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Public speaking and social anxiety outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later.

Researchers will compare participants given a positive mood induction to participants given a negative mood induction to see if public speaking anxiety outcomes differ.

Enrollment: 48 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Self-report of 18 years of age or older
• Current student at Boston University
• Ability to read English to provide informed consent
• Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet).
• For Phase 2: speech anxiety scale score of ≥ 14 on the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, Public Speaking Subscale (PRCA-PS)

Exclusion criteria

• Previous participation (i.e., no participant may take the survey more than once).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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48 participants in 2 patient groups

Positive Mood Induction via positive film clips

Experimental group

Description:

The standardized procedures outlined in our laboratory's previously conducted study (Stathopoulou, Pollack, \& Otto, 2018) will be followed. Participants will be presented with two brief film clips on a computer monitor or TV screen. These film clips were selected to elicit positive affect. As utilized in past lab study procedures, participants will be asked to: "Let yourself experience whatever emotions you have, as fully as you can. Don't try to hold back, or hold in, your feelings" (Stathopoulou, Pollack, \& Otto, 2018). Together, the two film clips will last for approximately 5 minutes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus positive mood induction

Negative Mood Induction via negative film clips

Experimental group

Description:

The standardized procedures outlined in our laboratory's previously conducted study (Stathopoulou, Pollack, \& Otto, 2018) will be followed. Participants will be presented with two brief film clips on a computer monitor or TV screen. These film clips were selected to elicit negative affect. As utilized in past lab study procedures, participants will be asked to: "Let yourself experience whatever emotions you have, as fully as you can. Don't try to hold back, or hold in, your feelings" (Stathopoulou, Pollack, \& Otto, 2018). Together, the two film clips will last for approximately 5 minutes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus negative mood induction