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People who had lived with fear of heights for decades became less scared after the virtual reality (VR) therapy that saw them ride a flying whale, researchers said Thursday
. A specialized team of psychologists and IT experts put the confirmed acrophobes to the test in a series of virtual reality simulations, after which they all announced "a reduction of fear," have- they announced.
concluded, "have the potential to dramatically increase the provision of treatment for mental health disorders."
With a virtual "coach" to guide people through treatment, the new method could offer an inexpensive way to provide care to people who can not afford or access a therapist face to face.
The VR coach uses the recorded voice of an actor.
Fear of heights, the most common phobia, affects one in five people at some point in their lives, according to researchers who published their findings in the medical journal The Lancet Psychiatry
Most never receive treatment
For the last study, the team recruited 100 volunteers. Half received VR treatment and the other half not, to allow comparison.
This was the first VR phobia treatment that did not require the presence of a real-life therapist, the team said.
be as imaginative, entertaining, and easy to navigate as possible, "says study leader Daniel Freeman of Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry
Wearing Glbades and Gloves touch safely on firm ground, patients centered in the mbadive atrium of a 10-story computerized office building.
The prerecorded 30-minute programming sessions ran automatically, the virtual coach explained what the participants had to do.
a rickety bridge, save a cat from a tree, perform tasks near the edge of a balcony, and ride a flying whale.
The result after several sessions exceeded the expectations of the researchers.
In self-reported comments, "more than three-quarters of participants receiving VR treatments showed at least a halving of their fear of heights," Freeman said.
