Virtual reality for visions
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Virtual Reality for Visions (VRV): A proof-of-concept study examining the development of a new treatment for distressing visual hallucinations in people with psychosis.
IRAS ID
330558
Contact name
Robert Dudley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Visions are the experience of seeing things that other people cannot. Up to two thirds of people with Psychosis report visions. Psychosis is a term for a number of conditions where people are distressed by seeing, hearing, or believing things that other people do not. People with visions tell us that they:
• don’t understand why they see them,
• feel different from others,
• find these experiences to be frightening,
• find it hard to manage everyday activities.Currently there are no proven treatments to help people deal with their visions.
We want to develop and test a new treatment in which an experienced therapist helps people understand what can cause visions, that other people have similar experiences and that they do not need to be afraid. The person then learns to manage their visions differently using virtual reality. This helps the person build the confidence to try different ways of managing their visions.
To test it we will ask 16 people with visions attending psychosis services to:
• come to 4-6 sessions that help to explain why people have visions and introduces new coping strategies to manage visions,
• have 4-6 sessions of virtual reality therapy,
• complete assessments before the therapy sessions start, halfway through therapy (6 weeks), and after therapy has finished (12 weeks, and 16 weeks).The main goal is to reduce the distress and impact of the visions. We will also undertake in depth interviews to help understand how to improve the treatment.
This study has been developed with people with lived experience. A lived experience advisory panel will be involved in all aspects of the project. Two co-applicants with lived experience of visions, psychosis and using mental health services will support the study and the public and patient involvement element of the research.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EM/0077
Date of REC Opinion
27 May 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion