Germany-wide Online Study on Panic and Claustrophobia: smartphone-assisted exposure therapy compared with smartphone-assisted relaxation training for panic disorder & agoraphobia
For our study we are looking for participants between 18 and 60 years of age with agoraphobia and/or panic disorder who are not currently undergoing psychotherapeutic treatment. However, if you are undergoing psychiatric treatment, you can still participate in the study.
Participate in the study
Study participation is free of charge and completely possible from home. People from the whole German-speaking area (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) can participate.
To participate, you first arrange a short telephone information call (approx. 15 minutes). Afterwards, if desired, it is usually also possible to have the study admission interview right away.
To make an appointment, you can use the online appointment management tool Timify directly. Simply click on the following button:
Alternatively, you can contact our working group by phone at 0157/37266949 or by e-mail at .
You will then be invited by us to an initial diagnostic assessment, which will also take place online via a video call. After that, the five-week usage phase of one of the two apps begins, during which we will send you weekly online short questionnaires on the app's usage behaviour.
More information about the study
Do you know sudden severe anxiety combined with physical discomfort such as palpitations or dizziness? Do you experience these on a regular basis? Do you avoid certain situations because of them? Then you might have panic disorder or agoraphobia. In panic disorder, these symptoms occur out of the blue, regardless of the location. In agoraphobia, the anxiety attacks occur in typical situations such as crowds, public transport, lifts or busy shops. The fear of these anxiety attacks can lead to avoiding such situations completely. Panic disorder and agoraphobia often occur together. In order to control these fears and reduce avoidance behaviour, therapy is useful. However, it is often difficult for sufferers to find a place in therapy at short notice, even though the symptoms can severely restrict everyday life.
One possible solution to this problem can be apps that can be used from the comfort of one's own home. The working group "Virtual Reality Therapy and Medical Technology" is investigating the effectiveness of two different apps that can be easily used on a smartphone from home.
An app for exposure therapy and one for relaxation therapy are being compared. In app-based exposure therapy, those affected are confronted with anxiety-triggering situations under guidance in order to reduce anxiety in the long term. In app-based relaxation training, on the other hand, the focus is on reducing the level of tension. Here, mindfulness and relaxation exercises are guided by the app.
Participation in the study offers you the opportunity to actively work on your complaints and make initial progress. Participation is also ideal for bridging the waiting time for a therapy place and thus reducing anxiety.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time (by phone on 0157/37266949 or by email at ).
Study team:
Dr. Niclas Braun
Mogda Ekhlas
Dr. Matthias Guth
Alexa Rodenjohann
Felicia Rohlfsen
Jacqueline Schilbach
Annika Wiebe
Media contributions to the study
Radiobeitrag BR24 "Das Gesundheitsmagazin": Mit Apps gegen die Angst
Studyflyer
You can download our studyflyer here (link).
