Virtual Reality Intervention (VR-GINSO) for Reducing Aggression in Young Offenders

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Virtual Reality: This group will receive 4 individual behavioral therapy sessions on emotion recognition, hostile attribution bias, anger management, and social problem-solving. During these sessions, participants will train specific abilities through various activities. The activities are designed as a serious game in a virtual reality setting and include: emotion identification and recognition, practicing interpreting frustrating situations without assuming hostility, anger regulation in provocative situations, and decision-making in interpersonal conflict situations. In addition, there will be one session before the program to collect baseline data and one session after the program to collect post-intervention data. A follow-up session will take place 3 months after the post-intervention assessment.

Active Control: This group will receive the same intervention as the Virtual Reality group, but in a group format (4 participants per group). The training and activities will be conducted using video or paper materials and traditional psychological techniques such as imagination. There will be 4 group behavioral therapy sessions on emotion recognition, hostile attribution bias, anger management, and social problem-solving. During these sessions, participants will train specific abilities through various activities. The activities include: emotion identification and recognition, practicing interpreting frustrating situations without assuming hostility, anger regulation in provocative situations, and decision-making in interpersonal conflict situations. In addition, there will be one session before the program to collect baseline data and one session after the program to collect post-intervention data. A follow-up session will take place 3 months after the post-intervention assessment.

Treatment as usual: Participants in this group will receive treatment as usual provided by the facility, with no additional intervention. Treatment will be delivered over the same period of time as in the other study groups. Participants will complete one baseline assessment before the study period, one post-intervention assessment, and a follow-up assessment 3 months after the post-intervention evaluation.

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to see if a specific intervention program that uses virtual reality (VR) helps young people reduce aggressive behavior more than the same program without VR or their usual treatment. The study will also look at how the program affects anger, impulsivity, emotional control, and how participants understand and handle conflicts with others.

The main questions the study wants to answer are:

* Does the intervention program with VR help young people reduce aggressive behavior more than the same program without VR or just their usual treatment?
* What changes in the mind and body are linked to improvements in aggressive behavior and emotional control?

The researchers will compare three groups of young people:

* Usual treatment plus the 4-session intervention program with VR.
* Usual treatment plus the 4-session intervention program without VR.
* Usual treatment only.

Participants will:

* Attend 4 individual sessions lasting 1 to 1.5 hours, once a week.
* Take part in activities to learn how to recognize emotions, understand conflict situations, and manage anger and impulsivity.
* Complete questionnaires about aggressive behavior, anger, impulsivity, emotional control, and how they interpret conflicts.
* Have their aggressive behavior recorded through disciplinary reports at the center.
* Provide saliva samples before and after sessions to measure hormones related to stress and aggression.
* Wear a chest band that measures heart rate and a headset that records brain activity during the VR activities.

All data will be kept confidential, and the identities of participants will be protected at all times.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Overall aggression measured with the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) — Baseline, post-intervention (4 weeks), and 3-month follow-up
  The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) is a 29-item self-report instrument assessing aggression. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). Total scores range from 29 to 145, with higher scores indicating higher levels of aggression. The questionnaire includes four subscales: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility.
• Proactive aggression measured with the Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire (RPQ) — Baseline, post-intervention (4 weeks), and 3-month follow-up
  The proactive aggression subscale consists of 12 items rated on a 3-point scale (0-2), with scores ranging from 0 to 24. Higher scores indicate higher levels of proactive aggression.
• Reactive aggression measured with the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) — Baseline, post-intervention (4 weeks), and 3-month follow-up
  The reactive aggression subscale consists of 11 items rated on a 3-point scale (0-2), with scores ranging from 0 to 22. Higher scores indicate higher levels of reactive aggression.
• Observed aggressive behavior recorded through disciplinary incidents in residential centers — Baseline (3 months prior to intervention), during the intervention (up to 4 weeks), and post-intervention (up to 3 months after intervention)
  Aggressive behavior will be assessed using institutional disciplinary records documented by educators in the residential centers where participants reside. The outcome will be calculated as the mean number of disciplinary incidents involving aggressive behavior per week. Incidents are recorded as part of the routine disciplinary procedures of the centers. The average weekly number of incidents will be examined across three time periods: three months before the intervention (baseline), during the intervention, and three months after the intervention.

Trial sites (1)

More Universidad Francisco de Vitoria trials in Spain

Other trials for the same condition