A new method to fight the fear of heights – 07/12/2018

Health



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A new automated psychological therapy based on a virtual reality program could help reduce the fear of people diagnosed clinically with acrophobia.

This is demonstrated by an essay published Wednesday in the scientific journal The Lancet Psychiatry the first in which VR technology is used – which introduces the user into a virtual environment – for new interventions psychological.

Acrophobia is the most common phobia. One in five claim to have suffered throughout his life while one in twenty is clinically diagnosed with the disease

The experiment, conducted by Daniel Freeman, of the British University of Oxford, employed a sample of one hundred people diagnosed with acrophobia who did not receive any psychological therapy.

About half of the participants (49) were treated with VR software, while the other half (51) received the usual treatment.

Each individual had to answer questionnaires about the severity of their acrophobia at the beginning and end of the process, and attend a control meeting four weeks after the end.

VR therapy included six half-hour sessions over the course of two weeks during which, gradually, in complex spaces where they had to deal with their fear of simple tasks, such as looking through a fence, walking on a floating platform or saving cats loaded on a tree.

A virtual coach who guides users and offers lessons.

During the game you can hear it say: "The reason we have fear of heights is because we think that something bad is going to happen, and that makes us anxious, and then we end up avoiding heights because they cool, but I will show you how to look at these thoughts in a new way. "[19659002] All users who completed the RV treatment said that their acrophobia had been reduced and, in the follow-up session, 34 people stated that they were not afraid of heights; Women are relegated: researchers worry about the gender gap in science "src =" https://images.clarin.com/collections/static/lazy_square.svg "data-big =" https://images.clarin.com/2018/07/11/HkRgf-47m_290x290__1.jpg "data-small =" https://images.clarin.com/2018/07/11/HkRgf-47m_110x110__1.jpg "watching = "" data-observer-function = "loadLazyImg" />
                

"Virtual reality treatments have the potential to be effective, faster and more appealing to many people. patients, "said Freeman, adding that this can be a" high quality system for many more people at an affordable price. "

However, experts have recognized some shortcomings in the trial, such as not comparing it with other current therapies for phobias or not badessing fear in a real-life scenario.

One participant said that he noticed how in his day-to-day life he was "less hostile to the edges,"

"I still have a small reaction, both in the recreational vehicle and on the outside, but it is shorter and I can feel my thighs relax"

L & # 39; Next step is to check if automated treatments using virtual reality programs can be effective in the treatment of other mental health disorders.

] With information from EFE and The Independent

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