Compares avatar therapy with talking therapy for persistent hearing voices
Tests avatar therapy against cognitive behavioural therapy in adults who hear voices.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Avatar-mediated Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Persisting Experiences of Hearing Voices
Key facts
- Where
- Hawthorn, AustraliaSee the site
AI summary: who the study is looking for
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with a psychotic or mood disorder who have heard distressing voices for at least one year.
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- All sexes can join.
- Disease stage
- A schizophrenia-related disorder or a mood disorder with psychotic symptoms, confirmed by an interview (SCID). Voices must be happening now and have lasted at least one year. The voices must be distressing and/or have significant negative content.
- Earlier treatment
- Must be taking antipsychotic medication now, or have tried at least two different antipsychotic medicines that were stopped because they did not work well enough or were poorly tolerated.
- Biomarker or test result
- Voice symptoms measured by scale scores: PANSS item P3 of 4 or more, and PSYRATS item 6 of 2 or more and/or item 9 of 2 or more.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Voices caused by a primary substance use disorder or an organic disorder
- Estimated full scale IQ below 70
- Antipsychotic medication changed within the last month, or a change planned at intake
- Individual psychological therapy for voices, electro-convulsive therapy or other brain stimulation in the past 3 months or now
- Voices in a language the therapists do not speak
Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Where in Australia
- Swinburne University of TechnologyHawthorn, AustraliaContact: Leila Jameel, PhDTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- Swinburne University of Technology
- Trial code
- NCT05982158
- Record updated
- 22 November 2024
- Original description
The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a new psychological therapy, Avatar Therapy, to the current standard therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in improving outcomes in people living with psychotic disorders who have persisting experiences of hearing voices (auditory verbal hallucinations, AVHs).Read full original descriptionShow less
Remotely Delivered Avatar-mediated Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Persisting Auditory Hallucinations: Randomised Controlled Superiority Trial
The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a new psychological therapy, Avatar Therapy, to the current standard therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in improving outcomes in people living with psychotic disorders who have persisting experiences of hearing voices (auditory verbal hallucinations, AVHs).
Inclusion: Schizophrenia-related disorder or a mood disorder with psychotic symptoms diagnosis confirmed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID); Experiencing current auditory verbal hallucinations as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) item P3 ≥ 4; Auditory verbal hallucinations present for at least one year; AVHs include significant negative content (PSYRATS item 6 ≥ 2) and/or AVHs are distressing (PSYRATS item item 9 ≥ 2); Current treatment with antipsychotic medication, or has been treated with antipsychotic medication in the past, with at least two different antipsychotic compounds, and these have been discontinued due to insufficient treatment response and/or poor tolerability; Access to the internet and a computer or other device on which videoconferencing software can be used; Sufficient fluency in English for meaningful participation; Age 18 or over; Ability to give informed consent.
Exclusion: Within the last month or planned at the time of intake: a change of antipsychotic medication,; Current or within the past 3 months receipt of individual psychological therapy for hearing voices, or receipt of electro-convulsive therapy or other brain stimulation treatment; Auditory verbal hallucinations attributable to a primary substance use disorder or organic disorder; Estimated full scale IQ < 70 (using the Test of Premorbid Functioning, TOPF); AVHs in a language not spoken by the therapists.