Project details

Summary

What is the study about?

Many people experience fears about everyday situations, for example walking down the street, going into a shop, getting on a bus, or being in a café. People may fear something bad will happen, for example that they will look foolish, or that they cannot cope, or that people will laugh or attack them in some way. The fears mean that people try to avoid these situations. This type of anxiety can be called ‘agoraphobia’. gameChange is for people attending mental health services for the treatment of psychosis who are finding it difficult to enter everyday situations.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer simulation. It is a bit like a video game. By putting on a headset, a person sees, hears, and can move around the computer simulation. gameChange was developed with people who have had fears about everyday situations. The gameChange simulations are a café, shop, pub, street, doctor’s surgery, and a bus. The simulations allow a person to practise, at their own pace, being in everyday situations. A virtual coach (called Nic) guides the person through the VR therapy. Research has shown that overcoming fears in VR tends to lead to fewer fears in the real situations. T

gameChange virtual reality (VR) therapy is an easy to use, step–by-step programme. In VR simulations a person can practise, at their own pace, being in situations such as a café, a shop, or walking down the street. It was developed with people who have lived through these challenges. The idea is that practising in computer simulations can make the real situations easier too. The therapy is supported over eight weeks by a mental health staff member. A VR headset will be provided. The VR scenarios a person can practise being in are a café, a shop, a street, a bus, a pub, and a GP surgery.

What are you trying to find out? 

gameChange is approved for use in the NHS for people with strong anxiety about going into everyday situations. The purpose of this new study is to provide further information of whether gameChange is helpful for individuals to overcome their anxiety and to work out the potential costs to the NHS. 

gameChange is a promising virtual reality (VR) therapy for treating this anxiety. People practise overcoming their fear in computer simulations in order to make the real situations easier. It has already been tested in one study with approximately 350 patients. The results led to gameChange obtaining initial approval for use in the NHS. However further information is required for it to become more widely used in the future. The clinical benefits need to be shown again and the potential costs of providing it in the NHS calculated. That is, we need to check whether gameChange is potentially helpful for people and whether it is affordable for the NHS. This is the purpose of the gameChange VR trial.

Who is it for?

The research is for people who:

• are adults (16 years+) 
• feel very fearful and anxious about entering everyday situations
• are attending mental health services for the treatment of psychosis

We will first check with you whether the research study is suitable for you. Our aim is for 200 people to take part in the research.  

What does taking part involve? 

Please read the information sheet(s) at the top of this webpage for a detailed description of what taking part will involve. 

Everyone who takes part will be asked to complete an initial assessment (set of questionnaires), which will take about half an hour. This asks about anxiety and fears, your well-being, and your use of health and social care services. The assessment can take place online, or at your local mental health clinic, or we may be able to meet at your home if you would prefer. 

You will then either have the gameChange VR therapy straightaway or after six months. Whether you have gameChange immediately or after six months is decided by a computer (rather like flipping a coin). You will have a 50% chance of being in either group. After completing gameChange we will ask you to complete two questionnaires about the experience, concerning how acceptable you found it and whether you had any side effects. The initial assessment is then repeated after 8 weeks and after 26 weeks. If you have gameChange after six months then we will also repeat the assessment after you have had the therapy.

Therefore there will be three times the assessments are completed for people who receive gameChange immediately and four assessments for people who receive gameChange after six months. We get in contact with people when the assessments are due.

As part of the study, we would also want to look at your medical notes. The staff member who helps support gameChange will need to do this as part of standard good care in the NHS. The study team will look at your notes to see how you are getting along and the care you receive. They will also record information on the services and support you receive from your medical notes. All of this will be done on a confidential basis. 

You will receive a £10 payment by shopping voucher for each of the assessment sessions you take part in. We will also reimburse you for any reasonable travel costs for attending an assessment. 

Why is it important? 

Given our previous testing of gameChange we expect it should help people get back into some of the situations that they fear and reduce the fears and anxiety when in them. The research aims to find out whether this is the case. The aim is to use the results if they are positive to obtain a recommendation for gameChange to be used routinely in NHS mental health services

How can I find out more?

You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.

If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, click the button below to email us:

Email the research team