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THURSDAY, July 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) – Too terrified to climb a mountain peak or travel to the top floor of a skyscraper? Does even the view of a large scale make you sweat?
The world of virtual reality could offer the perfect prescription for your fear of heights.
In a new British study, researchers used a virtual reality coach. "In virtual reality, people can repeatedly enter simulations of everyday situations that disturb them and be guided by the best way of thinking, feeling and behaving," says the author of the event. study. Daniel Freeman. He is Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University.
"The beauty is that the awareness that these are simulations allows people to try things they would be wary about in real life, but learning leads to major benefits in everyone's life the days, "said Freeman.
The study participants seemed to agree. One person said that after four sessions of virtual reality, "the difference in my mental ability to handle heights was incredible."
Another said, "What I notice is that in everyday life I am much less hostile.
A fear of heights – also known as acrophobia – is quite common. In Europe, 1 in 5 people report being afraid of heights during their lifetime, and 1 in 20 is clinically diagnosed with the disease, according to Freeman. He said that the number of people who are afraid of heights is similar to the United States.
Richard Catanzaro, president of psychiatry at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, NY, said the standard treatment for a fear-based disease is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or exposure therapy based on the CBT, which gradually exposes to fear.
The problem with these therapies, however, is that they require a significant time commitment. They also need a qualified therapist, and in many parts of the United States there are simply not enough therapists, Catanzaro noted.
In the British study, 100 people diagnosed with a fear of heights were recruited. The average time that they reported being afraid of heights was about 30 years old.
Forty-nine were randomly selected for the treatment of virtual reality while 51 received standard care, which for most people meant no treatment at all.
Virtual reality treatment involved a head-mounted and manual controls, allowing users to become familiar with computer situations such as rescuing a cat from a tree and reading a computer. xylophone near the edge of a floor. Participants participated in six 30-minute sessions for two weeks. (Some people responded faster than others.)
Forty-seven members of the virtual reality group completed at least one session. Only two people did not complete the complete intervention because they found it too difficult.
On a test of fear of heights – the scale ranges from 16 to 80, with a higher score indicating a worse fear – the people who participated in The treatment of virtual reality lowered their scores of # 39, about 24 points on average compared to the control group at the end of the study, and then again at follow-up four weeks later.
The results were published online July 11 in The Lancet Psychiatry Journal.
Even without a real-life therapist guiding you, Catanzaro says that this therapy "seems safe enough" to treat a fear of heights.
"One of the weaknesses of the study is that it did not follow to see how people would do in real-life situations, but I think the results would probably be worthwhile ", he said. "Virtual reality provides pretty realistic visuals and sensations, but you'll need more studies to be sure."
Mark Hayward, of the University of Susbad, England, wrote an accompanying editorial. He said the treatment seemed well tolerated in this particular population.
"There is tremendous potential for a fully automated virtual reality system to improve access to evidence-based psychological treatment for people with various mental health issues. Hayward has expressed concerns about the use of virtual reality for more complex mental health issues, such as paranoia or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Catanzaro echoed this warning, explaining that for something like PTSD, such therapy could be a problem if there was not a therapist present to help someone. one who has a negative or disturbing answer.
More Information
Learn More about the Potential of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Mental Illness by the American Psychiatry Association
SOURCES: Daniel Freeman , Ph.D., Professor, Clinical Psychology, Oxford University, and Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, and Clinical Director, Oxford VR, United Kingdom; Mark Hayward, Ph.D., Honorary Lecturer, University of Susbad, UK; Richard Catanzaro, M.D., Chief, Psychiatry, Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco, N.Y .; July 11, 2018, The Lancet Psychiatry Online
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