UniVRse: VR-CBT for Students With Social Anxiety (UniVRse)
Social Anxiety
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Social Anxiety focused on measuring Social anxiety, Students, University, Virtual Reality, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: For participants to be eligible to take part, they must be: A current student at the University of Westminster; Able to read and communicate in English; Wanting help to feel more confident at university; Deemed to have context-specific social anxiety as defined by a response of 'moderate' or 'often' on one of the subscales from any one of the following items from the MLSAS-SR: 5, 12, 17, and 9. These items reflect the highest level (i.e. most anxiety-invoking) of each of the four scenarios within the UniVRse programme: Asking a question in a lecture in person Delivering a presentation on your own in front of the class Speaking using my mic during online seminars Speaking up during small group discussions in person Exclusion Criteria: Persons will be excluded from the study if meet any of the following criteria: Have photosensitive epilepsy; Have a visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses; Have a balance disorder; Have a significant auditory impairment; Have current and active suicidal plans; Are currently accessing or have confirmed plans to access another psychological intervention during the course of the study. Participants will be excluded from providing a saliva sample (required for the cortisol measurement) if they meet any of the following criteria: Are pregnant; Currently breastfeeding; Taking any medications; Have any other serious medical condition; Think that they currently have COVID-19. These participants may still participate in the wider UniVRse trial if they meet all of the aforementioned main trial inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Sites / Locations
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
UniVRse + TAU
Waitlist + TAU
UniVRse is a Virtual Reality (VR) intervention targeting social anxiety in students using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques - specifically graded exposure. Participants will have access to UniVRse for a month post-randomisation and it is recommended they complete 6 sessions each 30-minutes long over this period. Exposure to the intervention will be reached if participants complete 2 30-minute sessions. UniVRse is a self-help intervention meaning that participants can engage in the intervention independently. Participants will be supported to progress through the UniVRse programme by a virtual mentor called Sam that will take on the role traditionally undertaken by the 'therapist'. Sam's function will be to provide psychoeducation, provide instruction on how to use the VR kit and interact with the virtual environment, and provide support and encouragement. Participants will be able to complete the intervention either on campus or at home.
We will be using a wait list control group. The wait list control group will receive treatment as usual for the duration of the trial. Treatment as usual may include active monitoring, meetings with academic advisors, psychiatric medication, and/or support from an NHS mental health team. We will not withhold treatment from the control group, but prospective participants may not be eligible to take part if they have current or confirmed plans to receive a psychology therapy (see exclusion criteria). Once the trial has ended, the participants in the control arm will be the first to be offered UniVRse when it is taken up by university support services.