Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial

Parisa Azimisefat; Ad de Jongh; Soran Rajabi; Philipp Kanske; Fatemeh Jamshidi

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919148

Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial

Parisa Azimisefat, Ad de Jongh, Soran Rajabi^*, Philipp Kanske, Fatemeh Jamshidi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Oral Public Health

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Acrophobia is a specific phobia characterized by a severe fear of heights. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of two therapies that may ameliorate symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity, i.e., virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with a Waiting List Control Condition (WLCC). Methods: We applied a three-armed randomized controlled pre-post-test design with 45 female adolescent students. Students who met DSM-5 criteria for acrophobia were randomly assigned to either VRET (N = 15; Mage = 17.26; SD = 1.32), EMDR (N = 15; Mage = 17.15; SD = 1.57), or a WLCC (N = 15; Mage = 17.50; SD = 1.26). The study groups were evaluated one week before the intervention and one week after the last intervention session regarding symptoms of acrophobia (Severity Measure for Acrophobia) and anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index). Results: The data showed that both the application of VRET and EMDR therapy were associated with significantly reduced symptoms of acrophobia (d = 1.03 for VRET and d = 1.08 for EMDR) and anxiety sensitivity (d = 1.15 for VRET and d = 1.13 for EMDR) in comparison to the Waiting List. Limitations: The sample consisted only of adolescent women. Due to the recognizable differences between the two interventions, the therapists and the participants were not blind to the conditions. Conclusion: The results suggest that both VRET and EMDR are interventions that can significantly improve symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in female adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.irct.ir/trial/57391, identifier: IRCT20210213050343N1.

Original language	English
Article number	919148
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Number of pages	10
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Volume	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919148
Publication status	Published - 15 Sept 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Special thanks to the Sina Cognitive-Behavioral Sciences Research Institute for designing the virtual reality application we used in our research and the participants’ cooperation. We would also like to thank Victoria Sanborn, MA, of the Research and Editing Consulting Program (RECP) through the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) for her assistance with English editing for this article.

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Azimisefat, de Jongh, Rajabi, Kanske and Jamshidi.

Funding

Special thanks to the Sina Cognitive-Behavioral Sciences Research Institute for designing the virtual reality application we used in our research and the participants’ cooperation. We would also like to thank Victoria Sanborn, MA, of the Research and Editing Consulting Program (RECP) through the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) for her assistance with English editing for this article.

Keywords

acrophobia
anxiety disorders
anxiety sensitivity
EMDR therapy
specific phobia
VRET

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919148

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Azimisefat, P., de Jongh, A., Rajabi, S., Kanske, P., & Jamshidi, F. (2022). Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-10. Article 919148. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919148

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abstract = "Background: Acrophobia is a specific phobia characterized by a severe fear of heights. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of two therapies that may ameliorate symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity, i.e., virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with a Waiting List Control Condition (WLCC). Methods: We applied a three-armed randomized controlled pre-post-test design with 45 female adolescent students. Students who met DSM-5 criteria for acrophobia were randomly assigned to either VRET (N = 15; Mage = 17.26; SD = 1.32), EMDR (N = 15; Mage = 17.15; SD = 1.57), or a WLCC (N = 15; Mage = 17.50; SD = 1.26). The study groups were evaluated one week before the intervention and one week after the last intervention session regarding symptoms of acrophobia (Severity Measure for Acrophobia) and anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index). Results: The data showed that both the application of VRET and EMDR therapy were associated with significantly reduced symptoms of acrophobia (d = 1.03 for VRET and d = 1.08 for EMDR) and anxiety sensitivity (d = 1.15 for VRET and d = 1.13 for EMDR) in comparison to the Waiting List. Limitations: The sample consisted only of adolescent women. Due to the recognizable differences between the two interventions, the therapists and the participants were not blind to the conditions. Conclusion: The results suggest that both VRET and EMDR are interventions that can significantly improve symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in female adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.irct.ir/trial/57391, identifier: IRCT20210213050343N1.",

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Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial. / Azimisefat, Parisa; de Jongh, Ad; Rajabi, Soran et al.
In: Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 13, 919148, 15.09.2022, p. 1-10.

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls

T2 - A randomized controlled trial

AU - Azimisefat, Parisa

AU - de Jongh, Ad

AU - Rajabi, Soran

AU - Kanske, Philipp

AU - Jamshidi, Fatemeh

N1 - Funding Information: Special thanks to the Sina Cognitive-Behavioral Sciences Research Institute for designing the virtual reality application we used in our research and the participants’ cooperation. We would also like to thank Victoria Sanborn, MA, of the Research and Editing Consulting Program (RECP) through the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) for her assistance with English editing for this article. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Azimisefat, de Jongh, Rajabi, Kanske and Jamshidi.

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Y1 - 2022/9/15

N2 - Background: Acrophobia is a specific phobia characterized by a severe fear of heights. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of two therapies that may ameliorate symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity, i.e., virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with a Waiting List Control Condition (WLCC). Methods: We applied a three-armed randomized controlled pre-post-test design with 45 female adolescent students. Students who met DSM-5 criteria for acrophobia were randomly assigned to either VRET (N = 15; Mage = 17.26; SD = 1.32), EMDR (N = 15; Mage = 17.15; SD = 1.57), or a WLCC (N = 15; Mage = 17.50; SD = 1.26). The study groups were evaluated one week before the intervention and one week after the last intervention session regarding symptoms of acrophobia (Severity Measure for Acrophobia) and anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index). Results: The data showed that both the application of VRET and EMDR therapy were associated with significantly reduced symptoms of acrophobia (d = 1.03 for VRET and d = 1.08 for EMDR) and anxiety sensitivity (d = 1.15 for VRET and d = 1.13 for EMDR) in comparison to the Waiting List. Limitations: The sample consisted only of adolescent women. Due to the recognizable differences between the two interventions, the therapists and the participants were not blind to the conditions. Conclusion: The results suggest that both VRET and EMDR are interventions that can significantly improve symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in female adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.irct.ir/trial/57391, identifier: IRCT20210213050343N1.

AB - Background: Acrophobia is a specific phobia characterized by a severe fear of heights. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of two therapies that may ameliorate symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity, i.e., virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with a Waiting List Control Condition (WLCC). Methods: We applied a three-armed randomized controlled pre-post-test design with 45 female adolescent students. Students who met DSM-5 criteria for acrophobia were randomly assigned to either VRET (N = 15; Mage = 17.26; SD = 1.32), EMDR (N = 15; Mage = 17.15; SD = 1.57), or a WLCC (N = 15; Mage = 17.50; SD = 1.26). The study groups were evaluated one week before the intervention and one week after the last intervention session regarding symptoms of acrophobia (Severity Measure for Acrophobia) and anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index). Results: The data showed that both the application of VRET and EMDR therapy were associated with significantly reduced symptoms of acrophobia (d = 1.03 for VRET and d = 1.08 for EMDR) and anxiety sensitivity (d = 1.15 for VRET and d = 1.13 for EMDR) in comparison to the Waiting List. Limitations: The sample consisted only of adolescent women. Due to the recognizable differences between the two interventions, the therapists and the participants were not blind to the conditions. Conclusion: The results suggest that both VRET and EMDR are interventions that can significantly improve symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in female adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.irct.ir/trial/57391, identifier: IRCT20210213050343N1.

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KW - specific phobia

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Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy on symptoms of acrophobia and anxiety sensitivity in adolescent girls: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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