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Spider scared? watching others face their fears online may help

NCT ID NCT06182709

Symptom relief Sponsor: Philipps University Marburg Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether watching a video of someone else getting spider exposure therapy could help people with arachnophobia. 78 participants first watched a short educational video, then observed a 45-minute filmed exposure session. After that, they took part in a live group exposure with real spiders. The researchers measured fear levels before, right after, and one week later. The goal was to see if this online method is a practical way to deliver treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
online psychoeducation video and modeled exposure (watching a filmed exposure treatment)
What this could lead to
If this approach works, it could provide a low-cost, accessible way to help people with spider phobia reduce their fear without needing in-person therapy.
What could go wrong
This is a small feasibility study with no control group, so results may not be generalizable. The long-term effectiveness and real-world impact are still unknown.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

78 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2023

Finished

Sep 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: \- Elevated score on Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ) \>= 17 Exclusion Criteria: * Severe allergies to bees/spiders/insects * Current psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment * Past psychotherapeutic/psychiatric treatment due to anxiety problems * Current or past psychotic symptoms * Current suicidal intent * Experience with exposure-based treatment * Current psychopharmacological medication * Severe respiratory, neurological or cardiovascular diseases

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

animal phobia Arachnophobia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Arachnophobia Spider fear

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Philipps-University Marburg

    Marburg, Hesse, 35037, Germany

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