Virtual Reality Training for Aggression Control

NCT06047587 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: NL78475.042.21
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 128
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The main goal of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effectiveness of VR-TRAC (Virtual Reality TRaining for Aggression Control) for reducing aggression in a prison-based population. The study-design is a single-blind randomized controlled trial, comparing VR-TRAC to waiting-list control condition (WL). 128 male detainees with aggression regulation problems in the last month (measured with the Aggression Questionnaire \[AQ\]) and a minimum age of 18 years, recruited from the Penitentiary Institution (P.I.) Vught, the Netherlands will participate in this study. They are randomly allocated to VR-TRAC or control condition WL. The treatment group fills in questionnaires, participates in role-plays and follows the VR-TRAC. The control group filles in the same questionnaires as the treatment group and also participates in the role-plays, but does not participate in the VR-TRAC. Participants receive Care As Usual (CAU) when necessary. To measure the effect of VR-TRAC on aggression, three different types of measurements are used: staff observation, self-report and performance-based. Self-report questionnaires will be scored on three different moments during the study: before the treatment starts, at the end of the treatment, and two- months after the treatment ended. Throughout the sessions, participants are also asked to answer questions to evaluate the sessions. Lastly, to measure the effectiveness of the skills trained in the VR-TRAC, performance-based assessments (role-play tests and vignettes) will be conducted before and after the treatment period.

Conditions

Aggression

Keywords

Virtual Reality

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Aggression (Aggression Questionnaire, AQ)

  The primary outcome will be measured through a self-report measurement, the 'Aggression Questionnaire (AQ)', wich measures four different types of aggression. The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) consists of 29 items measuring aggression on four different scales: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Items are filled in on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate more aggression.

  Before the treatment, 2 months after baseline (posttreatment), and 2 months after the treatment ended (follow-up).

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Difficulties in emotion regulation (DERS)

  Before the treatment, 2 months after baseline (posttreatment), and 2 months after the treatment ended (follow-up).

• Anger and Provocation (The Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory, NAS-PI)

  Before the treatment, 2 months after baseline (posttreatment), and 2 months after the treatment ended (follow-up).

• Reactive and proactive aggression (Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire, RPQ)

  Before the treatment, 2 months after baseline (posttreatment), and 2 months after the treatment ended (follow-up).

• Anger (Short Anger Measure, SAM)

  Every week, 4 weeks before the start of the treatment and end at 4 weeks after the last treatment.

• Impulsiveness (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, BIS-11)

  Before the treatment, 2 months after baseline (posttreatment), and 2 months after the treatment ended (follow-up).

Study Arms (2)

VR-TrAC

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to the VR-TrAC group will follow the training: Virtual Reality Training for Aggression. The training consists of 16 twice-weekly sessions, with a duration of 60 minutes each. The treatment protocol used in this training is based on the Virtual Reality Aggression Prevention Training (VRAPT), developed by Klein Tuente et al. (2020). The first four sessions focus on the early stages of information processing (what is happening and what does it mean). Session five through eight focus on the late information processing stages (what goals am I trying to achieve, what options do I have to react, what am I going to do, and what is the reaction or behavior). Session 10 through 15 combines the early and late stages, as all newly learned behavior will be incorporated in the interactive scenarios. To train the aforementioned stages, different aggressive-inducing situations are practiced in VR.

Behavioral: VR-TrAC

Care as Usual

OTHER

Participants receive Care As Usual (CAU) when necessary. CAU in prison consists of treatment with the main focus to stabilize a disrupted psychological state (such as pharmacological treatment, supportive contact or a transfer to a Penitentiary Psychiatric Centre where necessary interventions are applied to stabilize the disorder).

Other: Care as Usual

Interventions

VR-TrAC BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Reality Training for Aggression. The training consists of 16 twice-weekly sessions, with a duration of 60 minutes each.

VR-TrAC

Care as Usual OTHER

Care as usual as provided in prison.

Care as Usual

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Detainees who are imprisoned in P.I. Vught, The Netherlands, for at least 20 weeks.
• Detainees with aggression regulation problems in the last month, as measured with the AQ (a minimum score of 70).
• Minimum age of 18 years old.

You may not qualify if:

• SCIL score of 14 or lower. (SCIL: a screener for IQ and is scored for every detainee as part of the reintegration plan inside detention).
• Acute suicidal behavior or current psychotic episode.
• Insufficient command and understanding of the Dutch language.
• Photosensitive epileptic seizure in the past year.
• An estimated stay of 5 months or shorter

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Medical Center Groningen: lead

Study Sites (1)

Penitentiary Institution Vught

Vught, Netherlands

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Klein Tuente S, Bogaerts S, Bulten E, Keulen-de Vos M, Vos M, Bokern H, IJzendoorn SV, Geraets CNW, Veling W. Virtual Reality Aggression Prevention Therapy (VRAPT) versus Waiting List Control for Forensic Psychiatric Inpatients: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Med. 2020 Jul 16;9(7):2258. doi: 10.3390/jcm9072258.

  PMID: 32708637 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aggression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Aberrant Motor Behavior in Dementia; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Wim Veling

  University of Groningen

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Kasja Woicik

CONTACT

0653206810; k.woicik@umcg.nl

Chris Geraets

CONTACT

+31(0)50-3614367; c.n.w.geraets@umcg.nl

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 18, 2023
• First Posted: September 21, 2023
• Study Start: April 18, 2023
• Primary Completion: April 18, 2025
• Study Completion: April 18, 2025
• Last Updated: September 21, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NL (1)