Hearing Voices When No One is Talking (Symptom), Psychosis, Schizo Affective Disorder, Schizophrenia
Conditions
Keywords
Hearing Voices, Virtual Reality Avatar Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Brief summary
Hearing voices is probably the worst form of acoustic hallucinations; which can be experienced as severely disturbing and is influenced by diverse factors including the ability of the individual to influence and control the hallucinatory experience itself. In recent years virtual reality has become a treatment option. In the so-called AVATAR Therapy, patients with schizophrenia and acoustic hallucinations design a visual and auditory recreation (avatar) of the entity to which they attribute their hallucinations. Working with a therapist over the course of several sessions, participants change the avatar from controlling to benevolent. Avatar Therapy involves similar processes to learning and cognitive restructuring, comparable to other psychotherapeutic interventions. The investigators plan to conduct an interventional study using a cross-over design, to compare the feasibility and efficacy of virtual reality avatar therapy for patients with acoustic hallucinations (independent of psychiatric diagnosis) with a cognitive behavioural group therapy aimed to improve social competence.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVirtual Reality Avatar Therapy (VRAT)
The Virtual Reality Avatar Therapy (VRAT) is a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, delivered through Virtual Reality.
BEHAVIORALAssertiveness Training Program (ATP)
The Assertiveness Training Program (ATP) is a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, delivered as group therapy.
Sponsors
Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
The investigators plan to conduct a single-blind, randomised, controlled trial in a cross-over design to assess the feasibility and efficacy of VRAT in patients with acoustic hallucinations, independent of the main diagnosis.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Consistent acoustic hallucinations, with the presence of voices for at least two months. * Participants are competent to give informed consent, as determined by the referring physician or psychiatrist. * German language proficiency as a native speaker or level B1 Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL)
Exclusion criteria
* Current neurological disorder. * Current substance use or withdrawal. * Concomitant group psychotherapeutic intervention.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychopathological Assessment | Change: Baseline, 3, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months] | Symptom Questionnaire |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychotic Symptoms | Change: Baseline, 3, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months] | Symptom Questionnaire |
| Insecurity- Self-confidence | Change: Baseline, 3, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months] | Symptom Questionnaire |
Countries
Switzerland
Contacts
Primary ContactStephan T. Egger, MD
Outcome results
None listed