Spider PhobiaNCT04423783
Gamification in the Treatment of Spider Phobia
A study testing 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted) and Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989) in people with Spider Phobia, run by Anke Haberkamp at 2 sites in Germany.
Trial summary
Mobile applications are more and more considered when implementing programs for treating mental disorders. The study aims to reduce avoidance and fear of spiders in spider-fearful individuals by combining exposure principles with gamification elements (e.g. narrative background, level progression, points, feedback). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Spider Phobia
- What is being tested?
- 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted) and Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 90 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesGermany
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2020to 31 Aug 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants must
- be 18 years or older,
- SPQ score ≥ 14
- BDI-II score ≤ 18
Who cannot join
- Participants will be deemed ineligible if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria or
- are allergic to spiders or bee stings,
- are currently undergoing psychotherapeutic and/or psychopharmacological treatments,
- are experiencing current psychosis, mania, or substance abuse, or
- successfully complete 8 or more of 12 possible BAT steps at baseline (to ensure that participants are indeed spider fearful)
- are at higher risk from Covid-19 or
- participated in a pilot study in 2019.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
Germany2 sites
Philipps University Marburg
Marburg
Philipps-University Marburg Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Marburg
About this study
Official title: Testing a Gamified App to Reduce Avoidance and Fear of Spiders in Spider Phobia
Mobile applications are more and more considered when implementing programs for treating mental disorders. The study aims to reduce avoidance and fear of spiders in spider-fearful individuals by combining exposure principles with gamification elements (e.g. narrative background, level progression, points, feedback). We investigate the efficacy of the gamified app in a remote online-therapy context.
- Conditions
- Spider Phobia
- Being tested
- 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted), Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)
- Keywords
- Gamification, Anxiety Disorder, Avoidance, App
- Medical subject headings
- Arachnophobia, Anxiety Disorders, Alzheimer Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted)Behavioural
Also called Spider Gamification App
Confrontation with spiders via gamified app
Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)Behavioural
Also called Online exposure
Massed exposure therapy over the course of one single session, applied in a remote-online context
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Spider gamification app | Experimental | Participants play the spider gamification app twice a day for 7 days Receives: Behavioral: 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted) |
| Online exposure + spider gamification app | Experimental | Participants receive a therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy and play the spider gamification app twice a day for 7 days Receives: Behavioral: 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted); Behavioral: Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989) |
| Online exposure + non-spider gamification app | Active comparator | Participants receive a therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy and play a non-spider gamification app twice a day for 7 days Receives: Behavioral: Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT)
Scores range from 0 ("participant refuses to enter the room with spider") to 12 ("participant holds the spider at least for 20 sec").
Measured: Baseline; (after one-session exposure if applied); Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
Change in spider fear (Spider Phobia Questionnaire; SPQ)
The scale ranges from 0-31. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.
Measured: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
Change in spider fear: Spider-Anxiety Questionnaire (FAS)
The scale ranges from 0-108. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.
Measured: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in disgust before and after playing the app
Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced disgust; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app
Measured: Before starting and immediately after completing the game
Change in arousal before and after playing the app
Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced arousal; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app
Measured: Before starting and immediately after completing the game
Change in anxiety before and after playing the app
Seven-point rating scale scoring from 0 to 6: high scores reflect high levels and low scores low levels of experienced anxiety; participants play twice a day (between 8 - 11 am and 4 - 7 pm); ratings are part of the app
Measured: Before starting and immediately after completing the game
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Jun 2020
- Study start1 Jul 2020
- Primary completion31 Aug 2024
- Study completion31 Aug 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Spider PhobiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Anke Haberkamp
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Anke Haberkamp, Philipps University Marburg
- Investigators
- Anke Haberkamp, PhD, Principal investigator, Philipps University Marburg
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04423783
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- GaSpPh
- Status last verified
- Nov 2024
- First submitted
- 14 May 2020
- Last updated
- 8 Nov 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Share anonymized IPD via a general-purpose open-access repository
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Nov 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Testing a Gamified App to Reduce Avoidance and Fear of Spiders in Spider Phobia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04423783
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GaSpPh
- Conditions
- Spider Phobia
- Keywords
- Gamification, Anxiety Disorder, Avoidance, App
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Anke HaberkampUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Aug 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Mobile applications are more and more considered when implementing programs for treating mental disorders. The study aims to reduce avoidance and fear of spiders in spider-fearful individuals by combining exposure principles with gamification elements (e.g. narrative background, level progression, points, feedback). We investigate the efficacy of the gamified app in a remote online-therapy context.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Spider gamification app | Experimental | Behavioral: 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted)Participants play the spider gamification app twice a day for 7 days |
| Online exposure + spider gamification app | Experimental | Behavioral: 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted), Behavioral: Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)Participants receive a therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy and play the spider gamification app twice a day for 7 days |
| Online exposure + non-spider gamification app | Active comparator | Behavioral: Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)Participants receive a therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy and play a non-spider gamification app twice a day for 7 days |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Participants must
- be 18 years or older,
- SPQ score ≥ 14
- BDI-II score ≤ 18
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Participants will be deemed ineligible if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria or
- are allergic to spiders or bee stings,
- are currently undergoing psychotherapeutic and/or psychopharmacological treatments,
- are experiencing current psychosis, mania, or substance abuse, or
- successfully complete 8 or more of 12 possible BAT steps at baseline (to ensure that participants are indeed spider fearful)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted)Also: Spider Gamification AppConfrontation with spiders via gamified app | Behavioural | Online exposure + spider gamification app, Spider gamification app |
| Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989)Also: Online exposureMassed exposure therapy over the course of one single session, applied in a remote-online context | Behavioural | Online exposure + non-spider gamification app, Online exposure + spider gamification app |
Primary outcome
Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT)
Time frame: Baseline; (after one-session exposure if applied); Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
Scores range from 0 ("participant refuses to enter the room with spider") to 12 ("participant holds the spider at least for 20 sec").
Change in spider fear (Spider Phobia Questionnaire; SPQ)
Time frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
The scale ranges from 0-31. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.
Change in spider fear: Spider-Anxiety Questionnaire (FAS)
Time frame: Baseline; Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)
The scale ranges from 0-108. High scores reflect high subjective levels and low scores low subjective levels of spider fear.
3 secondary outcomes
Change in disgust before and after playing the app
Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game
Change in arousal before and after playing the app
Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game
Change in anxiety before and after playing the app
Time frame: Before starting and immediately after completing the game
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Nov 2024.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Share anonymized IPD via a general-purpose open-access repository
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Anke Haberkamp, PhD principal investigator
Philipps University Marburg
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 7-day exposure therapy via self-developed app according to (Haberkamp et al., submitted) and Therapist-guided one-session online exposure therapy according to (Öst, 1989) in people with Spider Phobia, run by Anke Haberkamp at 2 sites in Germany.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Nov 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in avoidance behavior (Behavioral Approach Task; BAT) (time frame: Baseline; (after one-session exposure if applied); Post-treatment (1-week after baseline); 3-week follow-up (4-weeks after baseline)). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Nov 2024.