Testing a Gamified App to Reduce Avoidance and Fear of Spiders in Spider Phobia
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Spider Phobia
- Sponsor
- Anke Haberkamp
- Enrollment
- 90
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
Mobile applications are more and more considered when implementing programs for treating mental disorders. The study aims to reduce avoidance and fear of spiders in spider-fearful individuals by combining exposure principles with gamification elements (e.g. narrative background, level progression, points, feedback). We investigate the efficacy of the gamified app in a remote online-therapy context.
Investigators
Anke Haberkamp
Principal Investigator
Philipps University Marburg Medical Center
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Participants must
- •be 18 years or older,
- •SPQ score ≥ 14
- •BDI-II score ≤ 18
Exclusion Criteria
- •Participants will be deemed ineligible if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria or
- •are allergic to spiders or bee stings,
- •are currently undergoing psychotherapeutic and/or psychopharmacological treatments,
- •are experiencing current psychosis, mania, or substance abuse, or
- •successfully complete 8 or more of 12 possible BAT steps at baseline (to ensure that participants are indeed spider fearful)
- •are at higher risk from Covid-19 or
- •participated in a pilot study in 2019.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT)
Time Frame: Baseline; (after one-session exposure if applied); Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
Scores range from 0 ("participant refuses to enter the room with spider") to 12 ("participant holds the spider at least for 20 sec").
Change in spider fear (Spider Phobia Questionnaire; SPQ)
Time Frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
The scale ranges from 0-31. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.
Change in spider fear: Spider-Anxiety Questionnaire (FAS)
Time Frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
The scale ranges from 0-108. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.
Secondary Outcomes
- Change in disgust before and after playing the app(Before starting and immediately after completing the game)
- Change in arousal before and after playing the app(Before starting and immediately after completing the game)
- Change in anxiety before and after playing the app(Before starting and immediately after completing the game)