The acceptability and feasibility of a novel virtual reality based social skills training game for schizophrenia: Preliminary findings

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2018-12, Vol.270, p.496-502
• Main Authors: Adery, Laura H., Ichinose, Megan, Torregrossa, Lénie J., Wade, Joshua, Nichols, Heathman, Bekele, Esube, Bian, Dayi, Gizdic, Alena, Granholm, Eric, Sarkar, Nilanjan, Park, Sohee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Computerized training; Feasibility Studies; Female; Games, Recreational; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Negative symptoms; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Patient Satisfaction; Psychosocial intervention; Psychotic Disorders - psychology; Psychotic Disorders - rehabilitation; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - rehabilitation; Schizophrenic Psychology; Social Adjustment; Social attention; Social cognition; Social Skills; Social skills training; Virtual Reality
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.014

•This novel VR social skills training is feasible for patients with schizophrenia (83 characters).•This protocol was acceptable to patients with schizophrenia (62 characters).•Clinical symptoms, especially negative symptoms improved after 10 sessions (76 characters).•Participants reported high levels of training satisfaction and real-world utility (84 characters). Social impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia that presents a major barrier toward recovery. Some of the psychotic symptoms are partly ameliorated by medication but the route to recovery is hampered by social impairments. Since existing social skills interventions tend to suffer from lack of availability, high-burden and low adherence, there is a dire need for an effective, alternative strategy. The present study examined the feasibility and acceptability of Multimodal Adaptive Social Intervention in Virtual Reality (MASI-VR) for improving social functioning and clinical outcomes in schizophrenia. Out of eighteen patients with schizophrenia who enrolled, seventeen participants completed the pre-treatment assessment and 10 sessions of MASI-VR, but one patient did not complete the post-treatment assessments. Therefore, the complete training plus pre- and post-treatment assessment data are available from sixteen participants. Clinical ratings of symptom severity were obtained at pre- and post-training. Retention rates were very high and training was rated as extremely satisfactory for the majority of participants. Participants exhibited a significant reduction in overall clinical symptoms, especially negative symptoms following 10 sessions of MASI-VR. These preliminary results support the feasibility and acceptability of a novel virtual reality social skills training program for individuals with schizophrenia.