Schizophrenia Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Schizophrenia, Virtual Reality, Smoking Cessation
Brief summary
Schizophrenia is associated with high rates of cigarette smoking, which contributes to serious physical health problems and reduced life expectancy. Existing smoking cessation treatments have shown limited long-term success in this population. Virtual Reality-based interventions may provide a new approach for supporting smoking cessation. This study evaluated the effects of a 10-week virtual reality-based smoking cessation program in patients with schizophrenia and healthy smokers. Participants were assigned to either a virtual reality intervention group or a no-intervention control group. Smoking behavior, nicotine dependence, clinical symptoms, cognitive functioning, and quality of life were assessed before and after the intervention period.
Detailed description
Schizophrenia is associated with elevated rates of cigarette smoking compared with the general population. Smoking is considered one of the major contributors to reduced life expectancy and increased physical morbidity in individuals with schizophrenia. Previous pharmacological and behavioral smoking cessation interventions have demonstrated limited effectiveness in this population, with low long-term abstinence rates and frequent relapse. Virtual Reality has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic tool in mental health research. Studies conducted in non-clinical populations suggest that virtual reality-based interventions may support smoking cessation by providing immersive and controlled environments related to smoking behavior and craving management. However, there is currently limited research examining the effectiveness of virtual reality-based smoking cessation interventions in schizophrenia. The present study investigated the effects of a 10-week virtual reality-based smoking cessation intervention in patients with schizophrenia and healthy smokers. The study included four parallel groups: schizophrenia patients receiving virtual reality intervention, schizophrenia patients receiving no intervention, healthy controls receiving virtual reality intervention, and healthy controls receiving no intervention. Participants were evaluated before and after the intervention period using measures of nicotine dependence, cigarette consumption, clinical symptoms, neuropsychological performance, quality of life, and social condition.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSchizophrenia VR Intervention Group
Participants received Virtual Reality-based smoking cessation treatment consisting of immersive virtual scenarios designed to reduce smoking behavior and support smoking cessation. The intervention was administered over 10 weeks through structured virtual reality sessions.
BEHAVIORALHealthy Control VR Intervention Group
Participants received Virtual Reality-based smoking cessation treatment consisting of immersive virtual scenarios designed to reduce smoking behavior and support smoking cessation. The intervention was administered over 10 weeks through structured virtual reality sessions.
Sponsors
Dokuz Eylul University
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Two intervention groups included Schizophrenia patients and healthy controls who received Virtual Reality-based smoking cessation treatment for 10 weeks. Two control groups included schizophrenia patients and healthy controls who received no smoking cessation intervention during the same period. All groups were assessed at baseline and reassessed after 10 weeks to compare changes in smoking behavior, clinical symptoms, and cognitive outcomes.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Being between 18 and 60 years of age * Being on a stable dose of the same antipsychotic medication for the previous 12 weeks * Being able to read and write in Turkish * Scoring at least 3 on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence
Exclusion criteria
* Diagnosis of any severe physical or neurological disorder affecting clinical functioning * Presence of auditory or visual impairment * Alcohol or substance use disorder/dependence * Having Intellectual disability * Suicidal risk or harmful/aggressive behavior * Any pulmonary disease or severe respiratory condition * Having prior smoking cessation treatment or intervention history * Having received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) within the past 6 months
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 10 weeks. | The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, developed by Karl Fagerström in 1996 (Fagerström et al., 1996), was used to assess the level of nicotine dependence. The FTND is a self-report measure consisting of six items, with total scores ranging from 0 to 10; higher scores indicate greater nicotine dependence. In this study, the FTND was administered at baseline before the intervention and again at the post-treatment assessment conducted 10 weeks later. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORKöksal Alptekin, Professor
Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine
Outcome results
None listed