Group Exposure Treatment: Feasibility of an Online Modeled Exposure in Spider Fearful Individuals
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 78
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Change in spider fear: Spider Anxiety Questionnaire (FSQ/SAF)
研究概览
简要总结
The effectiveness of an optimized group exposure treatment is investigated in spider-fearful individuals. Participants will undergo an optimized standardized exposure treatment. After receiving information about the treatment and the phobic stimulus (spider) through a psychoeducation video, participants will observe an exposure treatment of another fearful person, either live or by watching a movie of an exposure treatment online. Subsequently, participants will undergo a live in vivo exposure treatment conducted in a group setting. The effectiveness of the treatment is measured by symptom improvement according to online behavioral avoidance tests and subjective ratings immediately after training and one week later.
详细描述
The treatment of various anxiety disorders often involves exposure therapy. However, a considerable number of patients do not benefit or experience a resurgence of anxiety following successful treatment. Vicarious safety learning (i.e., modeled exposure) presents a promising avenue to improve therapeutic outcome. Previous evidence indicates that vicarious safety learning can diminish previously acquired fear associations, thereby reducing behavioral avoidance. While single-session interventions have implemented modeled exposure, specific mechanisms of observational learning have not been extensively investigated. Due to high dropout rates in specific phobias, modeled exposure could be utilized as an additional treatment method, potentially yielding better outcomes trough additional learning experience.
This study aims to investigate the applicability of observational learning and its sustainability through mental retrieval cues. Specifically, the study is going to assess the feasibility of modeled exposure conveyed either live or online via video, offering a practical approach within a stepped-care framework. The modeled exposure treatment will be followed by a group exposure treatment to assess the influence of modeled exposure in spider-fearful individuals.
Physically healthy spider-fearful individuals will be either treated with an online or live modeled standardized exposure followed by a group exposure treatment. Half of the participants will receive a mental retrieval cue before the group exposure treatment one day after the modeled exposure treatment. The research aims to determine if long-term reduction of spider fear is achievable through online modeled exposure via video compared to in-person modeled exposure.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Non Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •- Elevated score on Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ) >= 17
排除标准
- •Severe allergies to bees/spiders/insects
- •Current psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment
- •Past psychotherapeutic/psychiatric treatment due to anxiety problems
- •Current or past psychotic symptoms
- •Current suicidal intent
- •Experience with exposure-based treatment
- •Current psychopharmacological medication
- •Severe respiratory, neurological or cardiovascular diseases
结局指标
主要结局
Change in spider fear: Spider Anxiety Questionnaire (FSQ/SAF)
时间窗: Change from baseline to immediately post treatment 1 (after modeled exposure), immediately post treatment 2 (group exposure) and follow-up (7 days after group exposure - post treatment 2)
14-item questionnaire on a 7-point Likert-Scale (0 = "I don´t agree at all"; 6 = "I completely agree") to assess symptoms of arachnophobia. Total score can range from 0 to 98 Greater scores representing worse symptom severity of arachnophobia
Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ)
时间窗: Change from baseline to immediately post treatment 1 (after modeled exposure), immediately post treatment 2 (group exposure) and follow-up (7 days after group exposure - post treatment 2)
31-Item true/false questionnaire assessing symptoms of arachnophobia. Scores range from 0 to 31, with greater scores representing greater subjective fear of spiders, where lower scores reflect low subjective fear of spiders
Change in avoidance behavior (online virtual Behavioral Approach Task, vBATon)
时间窗: Change from baseline to immediately post treatment 1 (after modeled exposure), immediately post treatment 2 (group exposure) and follow-up (7 days after group exposure - post treatment 2)
Scores range from 0 ("participant refuses entering the room with the spider") to 12 ("participant holds the spider for at least 20 seconds")
次要结局
- Change in spider phobia belief questionnaire (SBQ)(Change from baseline to immediately post treatment 1 (after modeled exposure), immediately post treatment 2 (group exposure) and follow-up (7 days after group exposure -- post treatment 2))
- Global success rating (GSR)(Change from immediately post treatment 1 (after modeled exposure) to immediately post-treatment 2 (after group exposure) and follow-up (7 days after group exposure- post treatment 2))
- Change in Spider Anxiety Screening (SAS)(Change from baseline to immediately post treatment 1 (after modeled exposure), immediately post treatment 2 (group exposure) and follow-up (7 days after group exposure- post treatment 2))