Virtual Reality and Post Traumatic Stress

Northern Ireland has a legacy of trauma-related mental health problems and a higher estimated prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than other comparable post-civil conflict societies. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) is an effective treatment for PTSD and is currently recommended by the National Institute For Health and Social Care Excellence (NICE) as the first line of clinical treatment. During therapy, clients with PTSD revisit the trauma memory to process what has occurred. This technique is known as Imaginal Exposure (IE) which can be a difficult process. Clients can be highly avoidant and emotionally distant from trauma memories, making it challenging to engage with the exposure process. When trauma has occurred several decades previously, traumatic memories may be difficult to access, resulting in poor treatment outcomes. Technology such as Virtual Reality (VR) can aid this process, as patients can enter a world that exposes them to the traumatic memory in a controlled therapeutic way which has shown to be effective in the treatment of PTSD. VR is yet to be used in routine clinical settings. The investigators are proposing to create low-cost VR environments via 360° video and a new process called VR Photoscan, which will allow a clinical setting to use this beneficial tool to support patients who are receiving TF-CBT to treat PTSD. This is a three-arm intervention feasibility study using a mixed methods evaluation framework designed to explore the acceptability of low-cost VR as an adjunct within existing TF-CBT therapy. Participants will be split into 3 groups of 5: Group one (N=5) to use 360° Video alongside standard TF-CBT. Group two (N=5) to use VR Photo Scan alongside standard TF-CBT. Group three (N=5) is a control group that will only receive TF-CBT. The individuals selected for the technological interventions will be offered the opportunity of a personalized 360° video / VR Photoscan environment to aid their therapy session. Pre and post-measures will be collected from participants and semi-structured interviews will be held with participants at the end of their therapy and with the clinicians who have delivered the intervention. This protocol aims to investigate the potential of low-cost VR technology in supporting PTSD treatment, addressing both the practical and theoretical challenges of immersive trauma therapy. By examining the feasibility of 360° video and VR Photoscan, the study hopes to contribute valuable insights into VR's applicability in clinical mental health settings.

NCT Number	NCT06684977
Lead Sponsor	Queen's University, Belfast Collaborators: South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Conditions	PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Enrollment	15 participants
Start Date	2024-06-10
Primary Completion	2025-10-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-06-27