Use of immersive 360-degree videos in CBT for dental phobia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study to explore the use of immersive 360-degree video in graded exposure within a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) approach for dental phobia
IRAS ID
233159
Contact name
Jennifer Hare
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guys & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 26 days
Research summary
Dental phobia is estimated to affect 11% of the UK population. The recommended treatment for specific dental phobia is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), advocated by the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE). Exposure-based therapy in CBT can utilise many approaches and resources, including imaginal exposure (i.e. imagining the object/situation), as well as photographs, sounds, videos and the objects/situations in real life. Recent innovations in technology have witnessed the provision of exposure therapy utilising a virtual environment for anxiety and specific phobias; known as ‘virtual reality exposure therapy’ (VRET), individuals can become fully immersed within simulated environments, created by 360-degree videos, viewed through specially designed head mounted display devices (HMD). The last decade has seen encouraging research findings in the use of VRET for a number of phobias and anxieties, however, there has been no research into the use of virtual environment exposure for dental phobia, until a very recent study protocol to trial its use among dental phobics in Malaysia was published (Gujjar et al., 2016). This paper was unknown to the researchers as they were designing their own video-software to create a virtual exposure programme for UK dental patients, and the results of this RCT study have yet to be published. While preliminary findings are encouraging, this research was conducted using computer-simulated virtual dental environments, as opposed to in-real-life videos using 360-degree video software. Therefore, the primary aim of the current proposal is to pilot a feasibility study among dental patients in the UK. Employing a questionnaire design, individuals successfully treated with traditional CBT will be asked to view 360-degree videos created of the dental setting, to ascertain whether the use of VRET for dental phobia would be acceptable and considered of benefit within CBT treatment for dental phobia.
REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0163
Date of REC Opinion
26 Mar 2018
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion