Up to 1 in 5 people experience driving anxiety after a motor vehicle crash, resulting in overwhelming anxiety and fear of driving. The INSPIRE Feasibility and Pilot Trial is investigating an innovative solution for treating driving anxiety using immersive virtual reality (IVR).
Participate in the INSPIRE Clinical Trial
Do you have driving anxiety following a motor vehicle crash?
Join the INSPIRE Clinical Trial and access free, online treatment from a clinical psychologist.
What’s involved?
You will be randomly assigned to receive the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with or without Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR)
During IVR you wear a VR headset and sit within a three-dimensional digital car which recreates a realistic driving experience.
- Eight x free, weekly sessions of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with a clinical psychologist.
- Three online surveys, two clinical interviews with a clinical psychologist, and one interview about your experiences
- All therapy sessions and interviews will be held online.
- If you are in the IVR trial group, a headset will be mailed to you.
Will I be reimbursed for my time?
The 8 weeks of psychology treatment are free, and you will receive a $100 gift voucher when you finish the assessments after the therapy.
Who can participate?
To participate:
- You must be over 18,
- hold a valid driver’s license; and
- have had anxiety or avoidance of driving a car for at least 4 weeks
Who can not participate?
- Diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Experience severe motion sickness
- Epilepsy or any seizure disorders
- Significant uncorrected vision problems
- Recently changed psychoactive medication therapy
<Ethics statement goes here>
INSPIRE Trial: Innovative Solutions for Treating Driving Anxiety Using Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) uses immersive VR technology to simulate situations that cause anxiety or fear. By immersing patients in realistic, computer-generated environments, VRET allows them to confront, manage, and overcome anxieties in a safe, controlled setting.
This study will assess the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of using VRET in addition to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) when compared to CBT alone for treating driving anxiety in individuals with lived experience of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs).
This pilot and feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) will recruit 30 adults with driving anxiety following MVCs.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either CBT alone (Control) or CBT combined with VRET (intervention). The VRET intervention will be co-designed with consumers who have lived experience of driving anxiety and expert clinicians to ensure relevance and acceptability.
Funding
The INSPIRE project is funded through a MAIC Innovative Research Action Award (MIRAA) grant.
The INSPIRE project's Consumer Advisory Group (CAG) is made up of five people who have all experienced driving anxiety after a motor vehicle crash.
Through a series of workshops, the group has drawn on their lived experiences to help expert clinicians and technology experts co-design scenarios for the VR-based exposure therapy. This collaborative approach ensures that the intervention addresses real needs and concerns and is user-friendly.