title: Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have low employment rates and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain competitive employment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) among veterans with PTSD via a small randomized controlled trial (n=23 VR-JIT trainees, n=10 waitlist treatment-as-usual (TAU) controls).
  
  
  METHODS
  VR-JIT trainees completed up to 10 hours of simulated job interviews and reviewed information and tips about job interviewing, while wait-list TAU controls received services as usual. Primary outcome measures included two pre-test and two post-test video-recorded role-play interviews scored by blinded human resource experts and self-reported interviewing self-confidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trainees attended 95% of lab-based VR-JIT sessions and found the intervention easy-to-use, helpful, and prepared them for future interviews. VR-JIT trainees demonstrated significantly greater improvement on role-play interviews compared with wait-list TAU controls (p=0.04) and demonstrated a large effect for within-subject change (Cohen's d=0.76). VR-JIT performance scores increased significantly over time (R-Squared=0.76). Although VR-JIT trainees showed a moderate effect for within-subject change on self-confidence (Cohen's d=0.58), the observed difference between conditions did not reach significance (p=0.09).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results provide preliminary support that VR-JIT is acceptable to trainees and may be efficacious for improving job interview skills and self-confidence in veterans with PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: SIMmersion LLC., Columbia, MD USA.
authors.forename: Laura Boteler
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Humm
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL USA; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Chicago, IL USA.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL USA; Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Hines VA Hospital, Hines, IL USA.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL USA.
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ginger
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Chicago, IL USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: SIMmersion LLC., Columbia, MD USA.
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Veteran Affairs, West Haven, CT USA.
authors.forename: Morris D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bell
keywords: job interview skills; veterans; virtual reality training; vocational training