People experiencing psychosis might find social interactions stressful and avoid them. This can result in isolation and can affect relationships, employment and quality of life. Improving social functioning is a really important aspect of recovery. Facing social situations after the first episode of psychosis can be very difficult and provoke intense anxiety. However, research has shown that the earlier intervention is offered, the better the outcome. Therefore, improving therapies for people experiencing their first episode of psychosis is a key target for research. Virtual Reality presents a unique opportunity to bring real-life-type environments into a therapy session to help people to overcome their distress in social situations and make them feel less anxious. Virtual Reality assisted Therapy (VRT) provides a 'safe space' to practice strategies and techniques to help people work towards improving their social functioning, build new ways of coping with stress and assist them in their recovery. The study uses a standard CBT model and integrates a Virtual Reality environment into it to support exposure and behavioural experiments for social difficulties, which are a key component of treatment.
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Recruitment and retention
Timeframe: From start of study until completion of recruitment, approximately 8 months
Qualitative feedback from clients and therapists about their experiences
Timeframe: From start of study until completion of intervention, approximately 10 months
Study resources
Timeframe: From start of study until completion of intervention, approximately 10 months