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Virtual Reality Self-help Treatment for Aviophobia: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Jamie Rhiannon Fehribach^1,2, Marieke Bianca Jolien Toffolo¹, Ilja Cornelisz^3,4

¹Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

JMIR Research Protocols

|April 12, 2021

Summary

This study shows that a mobile app using virtual reality exposure therapy can effectively reduce fear of flying (aviophobia) symptoms. The app offers accessible, low-cost treatment for flight anxiety.

Keywords:

aviophobia cognitive behavioral therapy exposure therapy specific phobia virtual reality

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

Aviophobia significantly impacts daily functioning, with traditional treatments limited by practical and economic constraints.
Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) presents a promising, accessible, and cost-effective alternative for aviophobia treatment.
Mobile app-based VRET can overcome limitations of in-person exposure therapy for fear of flying.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of the ZeroPhobia: Aviophobia mobile app in reducing flight anxiety.
To assess the impact of the app on general anxiety and depressive symptoms.
To explore how usage intensity, immersion, absorption, and user-friendliness influence treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

114 participants (aged 18-64) with mild aviophobia were randomized into a treatment or waitlist control group.
Participants received 6 weeks of app-based psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy with VRET modules.
Assessments included the Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire, anxiety/depression measures, and usage covariates at baseline, post-treatment, and 3/12-month follow-ups.

Main Results:

Study funding secured September 25, 2018; ethical approval received October 11, 2019; recruitment closed May 7, 2020.
Intention-to-treat analysis will be used to determine treatment effectiveness.
Exploration of treatment effect mechanisms is planned.

Conclusions:

This research contributes to understanding the efficacy of technology-assisted treatments for aviophobia.
Findings will inform clinical applications of virtual reality for accessible fear of flying therapy.
The study highlights the potential of mobile VRET for widespread mental health treatment.