Promoting the Psychological Health of Women With SCI: A Virtual World Intervention

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to test the efficacy of an internet-based psychological health enhancement program for women with spinal cord injury. The intervention will occur in Second Life (SL), which is an online virtual word simulator with a group of women with spinal cord injury.

Condition

  • Spinal Cord Injuries

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Genders
Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • have a traumatic spinal cord injury - be at least one year post injury - be able to speak and read English (to participate in the group intervention and complete study questionnaires in English). - have access to a phone, an email account, and a computer and high-speed Internet connection that meets minimum SL computing requirements.

Exclusion Criteria

  • have a cognitive impairment that significantly limits their ability to give informed consent, participate in the intervention, or complete study assessments as determined by an inability to correctly answer questions on a comprehension of consent questionnaire - have a significant visual or hearing impairment that would prohibit their ability to participate in the virtual intervention - report active suicidality - live in institutions. Individuals living in community-based group and adult foster homes will be invited to participate.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Other
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Zest 		Zest is an internet-based psychological health enhancement program for women with spinal cord injury. The intervention will occur in Second Life (SL), which is an online virtual word simulator with a group of women with spinal cord injury.The Zest program will consist of 10 weekly 2-hour group sessions with approximately 8 women using avatars to represent themselves.
  • Behavioral: Zest
    Zest is an internet-based psychological health enhancement program for women with spinal cord injury. The intervention will occur in Second Life (SL), which is an online virtual word simulator with a group of women with spinal cord injury.The Zest program will consist of 10 weekly 2-hour group sessions with approximately 8 women using avatars to represent themselves.
No Intervention
Control 		No intervention - Control participants are provided intervention materials at the end of the study.

More Details

Status
Completed
Sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study Contact