Participants will be offered up to 10 sessions including a pre and post assessment session. Each participant will set one or more SMART goals for therapy (e.g. be able to use public transport, attend a social gathering or to feel less anxious in social situations) which are worked on both in the therapy sessions and through homework tasks.
This is a feasibility study. The aim is to recruit between 6-10 participants to pilot the VRT with. The results of this study will inform future research and practice, by helping to assess if service-users find the new VRT acceptable (e.g. recruitment, retention, drop out rates, participant experiences), and if it is effective (e.g. reduction in symptoms or distress, and improvement in social functioning).
It is really important that the clinical care of anyone who chooses to participate in the study is not affected by their participation in this study. The researchers will work closely with clinical teams to ensure this. Clients who engage with the study will still be eligible for all aspects of TAU including psychological interventions, should this be appropriate.
The VR technology and environment has been used extensively before in research studies, which have proved that it is safe and effective. However, it has not been used within the NHS context before or embedded within a therapy course before.
