oVRcome – Self-guided virtual reality for specific phobias: A randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: Mobile health applications for mental health are widely accessible but most have had limited research evaluation. Virtual reality exposure therapy is an emerging treatment for specific phobias. Most virtual reality studies have investigated high-end virtual reality devices, typically only available in research and limited clinical settings for a single phobia. This study evaluated the effectiveness of oVRcome, a mobile health application combining self-guided virtual reality exposure and cognitive behaviour therapy, for five specific phobias. Methods: This is a 2-arm 6-week randomised controlled trial, with a waitlist control group and follow-up at week 12. Participants were required to live in New Zealand; be aged 18–64 years; have a fear of flying, heights, spiders, dogs and needles; score above 4 on the Brief Standard Self-rating scale for phobic patients; and have access to a smartphone and Internet. oVRcome consists of six modules of psychoeducation, relaxation, mindfulness, cognitive techniques, exposure through virtual reality and relapse prevention over 6 weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to week 6 on the Severity Measures for Specific Phobia – Adults. All analyses were performed on intention-to-treat set. Results: A total of 126 participants were randomised, and 109 completed the follow-up at week 6, for a retention rate of 86.5%. The mean change in Severity Measures for Specific Phobia – Adults score from baseline to week 6 was greater in the active group compared with the waitlist group (active group −20.53 [standard deviation = 8.24]; waitlist group: − 12.31 [standard deviation = 10.66]; p < 0.001). The effect size for this difference was 0.86. Conclusion: Self-guided use of the oVRcome app was effective at reducing severity of specific phobia symptoms in a sample of people with a self-reported fear of flying, heights, spiders, dogs or needles. Trial registry clinicaltrials.gov NCT04909177.

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