The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Virtual Reality Use in Inured Athletes

Summary

In this study, which aimed to develop a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) protocol enriched with Virtual Reality (VR) to address the psychological responses that arise after ACL surgery, and to examine the effectiveness of this protocol. The effectiveness of the protocol was assessed using pre-test, post-test, and two follow-up measurements with the Re-Injury Anxiety Inventory (RIAI), the Sport Injury Rehabilitation Adherence Scale (SIRAS), the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), the Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ), the Return to Sport After Serious Injury Questionnaire (RSSIQ), and the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport Scale (ACL-RSI). Anxiety levels during VR exposure sessions were measured through biofeedback and the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS).

Conditions

• Re-injury Anxiety
• Kinesiophobia
• Poor Rehabilitation Adherence
• Poor Rehabilitation Self Efficacy
• Return to Sport

Interventions

OTHER

CBT+VR (Cognitive behavioral therapy and virtual reality)

The investigators are testing whether this intervention protocol is effective on re-injury anxiety, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy, and adherence problems in athletes who have undergone ACL surgery.

BEHAVIORAL

Control (placebo) group

The investigators are testing whether the placebo control protocol is effective on re-injury anxiety, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy, and adherence problems in athletes who have undergone ACL surgery.

BEHAVIORAL

VR (Virtual reality)

The investigators are testing whether this intervention protocol is effective on re-injury anxiety, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy, and adherence problems in athletes who have undergone ACL surgery.

OTHER

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

The investigators are testing whether this intervention protocol is effective on re-injury anxiety, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy, and adherence problems in athletes who have undergone ACL surgery.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

  collaborator OTHER

• Hacettepe University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ziya Koruç, PhD · Hacettepe University

• Britton W. Brewer, PhD · Springfield College

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-04-05

Primary Completion

2025-02-07

Completion

2025-02-07

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations