Virtual Reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety in routine care: a single-subject effectiveness trial

Figures & data

Figure 1. Study flowchart

Table 1. Participant characteristics

Measure	M or n	SD or %
% Female	n = 13	57%
Age	M = 40.61	SD = 10.15
% Married or committed relationship	n = 21	91%
% Completed university education	n = 17	74%
% Work as primary occupation	n = 20	87%
% Previous psychological treatment	n = 18	78%
% Previous psychoactive medication	n = 9	39%
% Self-referral	n = 22	96%
Impact on everyday functioning 0–10	M = 8.48	SD = 1.59
Self-rated duration (years) of clinically significant PSA	M = 19.26	SD = 9.93
Performance-only social anxiety disorder *	n = 16	70%
Time spent gaming each week (hours)	M = 1.13	SD = 2.60
% Any previous experience with VR	n = 7	30%

* All included participants met criteria for social anxiety disorder.

Figure 2. Application screenshots

Table 2. Observed means, standard deviations and n for primary outcome (PSAS)

Time 1	Time 2	Description	M	SD	N
0	0	Screening	74.9	6.28	23
1	0	Pre: prior to interview	71.5	7.75	12
2	0	Pre: after interview	70.8	8.33	16
3	1	Post-OST	63.9	8.82	16
3.25	1.25	Week 1 of transition program	60.6	6.69	14
3.5	1.5	Week 2 of transition program	60.8	10.9	12
3.75	2.5	Week 3 of transition program	60.8	14.3	9
4	3	Final (post-transition program)	56.2	14.1	12
-	-	Three-month follow-up	53	14.5	8

OST: One-session treatment.

Table 3. Participant engagement with the online transition program

Measure	M	SD
Logins on platform	5.16	3.37
Opened modules	2.21	1.13
Incomplete in-vivo exercises	1.91	0.83
Complete in-vivo exercise	4.50	3.70

Figure 3. Dual-slope modeling of primary outcome

Figure 4. Secondary outcomes

Figure 5. Modeling of in-session process measures

Abbreviations used: CBE, catastrophic belief expectancy; SUDs, subjective units of distress. All measures rated 0–100.