Investigating the efficacy of self-guided digital treatment with virtual reality for panic disorder and agoraphobia

INTERVENTION: First, all patients will have two psychotherapeutic sessions during which their symptoms will be assessed. At the end of the second session, random allocation to the research conditions will take place. The scheme that determines a patients’ allocation will be generated before study initiation using R.4.1.4. At this point, patients in the experimental group (EG) will receive access to the psychoeducational part of the self‐guided digital treatment, for which they have six weeks to complete. Then, during the next session, patients in the EG will be prepared for the virtual reality part of the self‐guided digital treatment, while patients in the control group (CG) receive relaxation training instead. Then, the EG has four weeks to complete the virtual reality part of the self‐guided digital treatment. After that time, both groups will have a closing session, which will be used for the consolidation of learned behavior and relapse prevention. A follow‐up session will take place six weeks after the closing session. CONDITION: Self‐guided treatment for patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders PRIMARY OUTCOME: Panic disorder and agoraphobia symptoms are measured using the German version of the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) at baseline, interim (6 weeks), post‐treatment (10 weeks), and follow‐up (16 weeks) SECONDARY OUTCOME: Remission measured using the Mini‐DIPS at baseline and follow‐up (16 weeks) INCLUSION CRITERIA: One of the following diagnostic criteria: ‐ Agoraphobia, unspecified (ICD‐10 F40.00) ‐ Agoraphobia with panic disorder (ICD‐10 F40.01) ‐ Agoraphobia without panic disorder (ICD‐10 F40.02) ‐ Panic disorder (ICD‐10 F41.0) Note: All listed diagnoses can be in comorbidity with or without depression