Gamification in the Treatment of Spider Phobia

Anke Haberkamp90 enrolled

Overview

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Spider Phobia

Interventions

7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted)BEHAVIORAL

Confrontation with spiders via gamified app

Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)BEHAVIORAL

Massed exposure therapy over the course of one single session, applied in a remote-online context

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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.

Locations (2)

Philipps University Marburg

Marburg, Germany

Philipps-University Marburg Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Marburg, Germany

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT)

Scores range from 0 ("participant refuses to enter the room with spider") to 12 ("participant holds the spider at least for 20 sec").

Time frame: Baseline; (after one-session exposure if applied); Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

Change in spider fear (Spider Phobia Questionnaire; SPQ)

The scale ranges from 0-31. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.

Time frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

Change in spider fear: Spider-Anxiety Questionnaire (FAS)

The scale ranges from 0-108. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.

Time frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)

Secondary Outcomes

Change in disgust before and after playing the app

Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced disgust; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app

Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game

Change in arousal before and after playing the app

Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced arousal; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app

Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game

Change in anxiety before and after playing the app

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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