Abstract
Intro: People with psychosis often experience social difficulties associated with psychological processes, such as fear of harm or negative evaluation from others. Virtual reality presents a unique opportunity to use social environments in therapy. This study presents a case-series of virtual-reality assisted cognitive behavioural therapy (VR-CBTp) for people with first episode psychosis (FEP) who are experiencing social difficulties. It aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this novel therapy in real-world clinical settings. Methods: Eight eligible participants were recruited and received a course of 10 sessions of individual formulation-driven VR-CBTp with a focus on improving social functioning. A novel VR environment and therapy package were piloted for the use of the assessment, formulation and treatment of social difficulties. Psychometric assessments were conducted pre- and post-therapy, and participants provided qualitative feedback about their experiences. Results: The results provided preliminary information to suggest that the therapy was feasible and acceptable, recruiting to target and with good participant retention. Pre-post comparison of treatment outcomes revealed a reliable change on some of the assessed domains, indicating participants experienced clinical benefits from the therapy. Conclusion: The inclusion of VR into a course of CBTp for people with psychosis who experience social difficulties was found to be feasible and acceptable with potential therapeutic benefits. A number of challenges to implementation in real-world clinical settings and future directions were identified.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 100519 |
Journal | Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2025 |
Keywords
- Early intervention
- Paranoia
- Psychosis
- Social anxiety
- Social difficulties
- Virtual-reality