Agoraphobia

Researchers are evaluating a self-guided, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program called Velibra for patients with anxiety disorders who are on a waitlist for face-to-face psychotherapy. The study aims to investigate the effects of this transdiagnostic program on various anxiety conditions including panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Participants receive access to Velibra, which consists of six modules designed to be completed over six weeks. The program covers education about anxiety, cognitive techniques, relaxation, practicing non-anxious behaviors, social situation management, and a final summary. Although the program is self-guided, participants receive support through four assessment points: before starting, mid-treatment after the first three modules, post-treatment, and one month after completing the program. During the study, participants complete multiple assessments including the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and Penn State Worry Questionnaire at each of the four time points. Additional measures such as anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, and quality of life are also evaluated. The study team tracks progress and acceptability of the program, with total participation covering the treatment duration plus follow-up evaluations.

Researchers are studying anxiety disorders, including specific phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social anxiety disorder. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new smartphone-guided, sensor-based in vivo exposure therapy combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This study compares traditional CBT with in vivo exposure to a version supported by the SYMPTOMS-JIT app, aiming to improve treatment and identify barriers to technology use in therapy. Participants will receive CBT involving psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, emotion regulation, and coping strategies over 10 to 20 sessions. The core treatment includes repeated exposure to feared situations until distress decreases. One group receives standard in vivo exposure, while the other group uses the SYMPTOMS-JIT app to support their exposure therapy. The study includes randomized assignment to these two treatment groups. Participants will be assessed at baseline, after approximately 12 weeks of treatment, and at follow-ups after 3, 6, and 12 months. Assessments include interviews, fear and avoidance scales, and various anxiety and depression questionnaires. Researchers will monitor treatment effects, patient and therapist satisfaction, and therapy efficiency. The total participation involves initial treatment and long-term follow-up to evaluate lasting benefits and app usability.

Researchers are studying the effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on fear learning and anxiety in college students who have high levels of social anxiety. This early phase 1 trial recruits undergraduates at the University of Connecticut who show elevated social anxiety on standard tests. The study aims to see if CBD can help reduce fear responses during a controlled fear conditioning experiment. Participants will undergo a fear conditioning test where they learn to associate one face with a mild wrist shock and another face with no shock. After learning, half of the participants will receive a single 600 mg dose of CBD isolate gel capsules, while the other half will receive placebo capsules. Following this, participants will be exposed to the faces again without shocks to measure how quickly and effectively their fear responses diminish. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor participants' electrodermal responses and subjective fear ratings using a visual scale to assess fear extinction. The primary outcome is the electrodermal activity measured over 20 minutes. The trial is randomized and double-blind, with all participants completing the study within a single session. Safety and response data will be collected during this time to evaluate how CBD affects anxiety and learning.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of a new therapist-guided, rule-based digital intervention called Modi for adolescents aged 13 to 16 with mild to moderate anxiety. This randomized controlled trial compares the Modi mobile app, which is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to treatment as usual at the Child and Family Help Center in Bergen Municipality. The goal is to see if the intervention reduces anxiety symptoms and improves functional levels in young people. The Modi intervention lasts for 8 weeks and is delivered through a mobile app featuring a rule-based chatbot named "Anna" that guides users through educational content and exercises. The program includes six chapters with psychoeducation, cognitive therapy concepts, and exposure exercises, supported by animated videos, illustrations, and audio. Participants receive weekly personalized support from Modi therapists via messages and phone calls. The comparison group receives regular treatment from local Child and Family Services, which may include individual therapy, parental counseling, and assessments following national clinical guidelines. During the study, participants complete self- and parent-reported anxiety and depression scales (RCADS-25) at screening, before starting, during weeks 2, 4, 6, immediately after the intervention, and at 1- and 6-month follow-ups. Secondary measures include youth and parent versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at similar time points. Researchers will monitor changes in anxiety symptoms and functioning throughout the study, which runs until December 2026.

This research aims to evaluate how effective gamification using escape-room methods is for teaching nursing students to recognize cardiac arrhythmias in critical patients. It compares the impact of in-person versus virtual escape-room experiences on improving cognitive and emotional skills among nursing students. The study is a randomized clinical trial involving nursing undergraduates and seeks to fill gaps in educational methods by assessing these interactive approaches. Participants will first attend a theoretical class on cardiac arrhythmias in critical patients. Then, they will be randomly assigned to either an in-person escape-room or a virtual escape-room. The in-person escape-room takes place in a nursing lab with a high-fidelity patient mannequin and hospital equipment, lasting 30 minutes per group. The virtual escape-room uses an online platform accessed via tablets or computers, also lasting 30 minutes. Both settings record participant interactions and performance for feedback. During the study, nursing students will complete knowledge tests and assessments including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Satisfaction and Self-confidence Scale in nursing management learning, and a Perceived Gains Scale before and after the interventions. Researchers will measure changes in stress, anxiety, satisfaction, self-confidence, and perceived learning gains. The total study timeline includes a 3-month period to evaluate these outcomes and provide insights on improving nursing education through gamified strategies.

This research aims to find out if a nursing educational program can reduce anxiety in patients scheduled for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. The study compares this new program with the usual care provided to patients before their treatment begins. The goal is to see if providing detailed information and support before the first session helps lower anxiety levels. Participants in the experimental group will receive an educational intervention with audiovisual materials explaining how the hyperbaric chamber works and what to expect during treatment. This intervention starts on the day the treatment is prescribed, including an informative brochure and a half-hour session before the first treatment. The control group will receive the usual brief explanation currently offered before entering the chamber. During the study, participants will be assessed for anxiety using the STAI questionnaire during the first week of treatment. Researchers will monitor and compare anxiety levels between groups to evaluate the effectiveness of the nursing intervention. The study involves randomized assignment to groups and single blinding. Overall participation will cover the treatment period beginning with the first session in the chamber.

Children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years with acute leukemia often experience painful and anxiety-inducing treatments, especially during needle insertions into implantable ports used for administering chemotherapy and other therapies. This trial evaluates whether repeated use over three months of interactive or hypnotic virtual reality (VR) can better manage pain and reduce anxiety for the child, their parents, and caregivers compared to the standard distraction methods during these procedures. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: the standard method involving local anesthetic cream and distraction by caregivers or parents, interactive virtual reality using a VR mask with guided virtual environments, or hypnotic virtual reality using a similar mask but with hypnotic software. In both VR groups, the child wears headphones and a headset and is immersed in a virtual world starting about five minutes before the needle insertion and continuing briefly after the procedure, with local anesthetic cream applied in all groups. During the study, children and their parents will be assessed for pain and anxiety using self-evaluation scales, heart rate monitoring, and satisfaction questionnaires after each needle insertion over a three-month period. Pain is primarily measured 15 minutes after the procedure. Researchers will also monitor fear levels and heart rate before and immediately after care to understand the impact of VR on the experience. The total participation spans these repeated care sessions during the three months following randomization.

Researchers are comparing two devices used to widen the upper jaw in children aged 6 to 11 years who need maxillary expansion due to conditions such as malocclusions, narrow maxilla, narrow maxillary arch, or crowding. The study aims to evaluate the amount of palate expansion achieved and the overall experience of using the Invisalign Palatal Expander versus the Hyrax expander. Participants will be randomly assigned to use either the Invisalign Palatal Expander, a removable device that is replaced to achieve up to 0.25 mm expansion per device, or the Hyrax Expander, a banded device fixed in the mouth where a screw is turned to obtain 0.25 mm expansion per turn. The study duration is approximately four months from enrollment to completion. During the study, participants will be monitored to measure the width of their palate after expansion. The study involves regular assessments to track changes in palate width and overall device experience. The total participation time is about four months, during which safety and effectiveness will be evaluated under medical supervision.

Researchers are evaluating different ways to deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 who have anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The study aims to find out which method of delivering CBT—either in-person, via telehealth, or a flexible mix of both—best increases access to treatment and improves outcomes. This research is conducted by the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center at Brown University Health and involves collaboration with several community care sites in Rhode Island to reach diverse youth populations. Participants will receive weekly CBT sessions focused on exposure therapy, which helps them gradually face feared situations. Treatment teams include a licensed provider once a month and an exposure coach three times a month. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three delivery methods: attending sessions entirely in-person, fully through remote video calls, or a flexible approach that combines both. The treatment takes place in community settings such as offices, homes, or via a secure video platform. During the study, participants will complete various assessments before starting treatment, during treatment at weeks 8 and 16, at the end of treatment, and at follow-ups 3 and 6 months after treatment ends. These assessments measure anxiety severity, OCD symptoms, satisfaction with treatment, disability, and barriers to care, among others. Weekly monitoring of exposure activities and homework compliance is also part of the study. Participants will be compensated for completing research assessments, and the total study duration includes treatment and follow-up periods.

Researchers are developing and evaluating a new internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program aimed at children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years who have anxiety disorders. This study focuses on improving treatment for anxiety through a therapist-guided online program and assessing its preliminary effects on reducing anxiety severity. The study also explores participant experiences and factors that might influence treatment results, with the goal of refining the intervention for future use. The treatment involves a 12-week ICBT program accessed through a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The program is tailored into two versions based on age groups (8-12 and 13-17 years) and includes 12 modules for both the child or adolescent and their caregiver. Throughout the treatment, both the youth and caregiver communicate with a trained therapist via text, phone calls, and scheduled video or phone sessions to receive feedback and support. Participants will complete questionnaires at multiple points: at the start, during treatment, immediately after, and three months later. Some will also join focus group interviews to provide feedback on improving the program. The study measures anxiety levels using tools like the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS) and collects information on mood, well-being, therapy experiences, and any side effects. This comprehensive monitoring helps assess the program's impact and safety over the course of the study and follow-up.