An interventional study of Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos in Specific Phobia, Animal, sponsored by University of South Florida. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-30.
Sponsored by University of South Florida · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic (Doxy.me VR) works to treat dog, spider, and snake phobias in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does Doxy.me VR decrease the severity of phobias better than traditional telemedicine-based treatment? Does this work because it feels more realistic than telemedicine alone?
85 studies on the registry are indexed under Phobia, Specific; 13 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 240 is above the median of 74 across 81 interventional studies indexed under Phobia, Specific.
Browse Phobia, Specific studies →University of South Florida is the lead sponsor of 340 studies on the registry; 65 are open to participants now.
Of its 17 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 4 (24%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Individuals will be eligible if they: (1) are an adult (≥18 years old); (2) have a self-reported fear of dogs, snakes, and/or spiders; (3) score 89 ≥ on the FSQ OR 24 ≥ on the SNAQ OR 147 ≥ on the DPQ; and (4) have access to the internet AND a computer OR smartphone with video conferencing capabilities.
Exclusion Criteria:
Individuals will be ineligible to participate if they: (1) are participating in ongoing mental health therapy from a non-study therapist; (2) changed psychiatric medication use within the past 6 weeks; (3) report active auditory, visual, and/or tactile hallucinations via the DART Psychosis Module screening question; (4) report active health conditions requiring upcoming planned or likely hospitalization or intensive treatment that will prevent them from participating; (5) report active legal proceedings that might lead to incarceration during the study period that would prevent them from participating; (6) report an unstable housing situation (eg., eviction or homelessness); (7) have experienced photosensitive seizures within the prior 6 months; (8) endorse more than 20% of symptom validity questions.
This group will receive exposure therapy in a telemedicine-based Virtual Reality Clinic using virtual reality snakes, dogs, or spiders. The VR stimuli range from small to medium to large and have four activity levels: idle, calm, energetic, and aggressive.
Behavioral: Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
This group will receive exposure therapy via Doxy.me telemedicine platform using photos and videos of snakes, dogs, or spiders. The photo/video stimuli range from small to medium to large and have four activity levels: idle, calm, energetic, and aggressive.
Behavioral: Telemedicine-Based Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos
Participants will complete 7 60-minute exposure therapy sessions in a Virtual Reality Clinic using Virtual Reality stimuli and progress to in vivo exposures. Other Name:
Participants will complete 7 60-minute exposure therapy sessions using photos/videos and progress to in vivo exposures.
Phobia symptom severity
The Severity Measure for Specific Phobia (SMSP) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the severity of specific phobia symptoms relative to an individual's feared stimulus. Total scores range from 0 to 4 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Dog Phobia Severity
The Dog Phobia Questionnaire (DPQ) is a 27-item, self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of dog phobia symptoms. Scores range from 27 to 189 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Snake Phobia Severity
The Snake Anxiety Questionnaire (SNAQ) is a 30-item self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of snake phobia symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 30 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Spider Phobia Severity
The Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) is an 18-item self-report questionnaire assessing the severity of spider phobia symptoms. Scores range from 18 to 126 with higher scores indicating higher phobia severity.
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Specific Phobia Diagnosis
The Diagnostic Assessment Research Tool (DART) is a modular semi structured interview corresponding with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Study therapists administer the DART Specific Phobia Module, which provides designations of Absent, Subthreshold, and Present.
Time frame: Baseline, 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
General Anxiety
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a 7-item self-report measure of anxiety symptom severity. Scores range from 0 to 15 with higher scores indicating higher anxiety severity.
Time frame: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Depression Severity
The Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) is an 8-item self-report measure of depression symptom severity. Scores range from 0 to 27 with higher scores indicating higher depression severity.
Time frame: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Quality of Life Level
The Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) is a 16-item self-report measure of quality of life. Scores range from 16 to 112 with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline, 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment), and 28 weeks Post-Baseline (3-Months Post-Treatment)
Level of Telepresence
The iGroup Presence Questionnaire (iPQ) is a 14-item self-report questionnaire of telepresence. Scores on each subscale range from 0-6 with higher scores indicating more presence.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7; Averaged across weeks
Cybersickness Severity
The Cybersickness in Virtual Reality Questionnaire (CSQ-VR) is an 6-item measure of nausea, vestibular, and oculomotor cybersickness experienced in virtual reality. Scores range from 6 to 27 with higher scores indicating higher levels of cybersickness.
Time frame: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7; Averaged across weeks
Level of Working (Therapeutic) Alliance
The Working Alliance Inventory (WAI-SR) is a 12-item client-rated measure of therapeutic alliance. Total scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating a better therapeutic alliance.
Time frame: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
Satisfaction with Therapy
The Satisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale-Revised (STTS-R) is a 13-item self-report questionnaire that assesses client satisfaction with treatment. Scores range from 0 to 60 with higher scores indicating higher satisfaction.
Time frame: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
System Usability
The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a 10-item self-report measure of the usability of a particular software system, platform, or app. Scores range from 0-100 with higher scores indicating better usability.
Time frame: 4 Weeks Post-Baseline (Mid-Treatment), 7 Weeks Post-Baseline (Post-Treatment)
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.