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In the UK, a survey showed the application of RV for the treatment of fear of height
It is not today that technology is allied with the health. But now, recent research has shown that the use of virtual reality (VR) can help patients overcome their fears. In the UK, researchers from Oxford University have brought together 100 people, over the age of 18, in fear of heights.
Scientists divided patients into two groups. In all, 49 used an RV treatment, while the remaining 51 had no type of treatment.
Fear of stature is the main fear of the British. According to a 2014 survey, about 23% of adults say they are very afraid of height, while 35% say they are a bit scared: "It's just the most common type of phobia, and we know that many do not have one. Daniel Freeman, professor of psychology at the University of Oxford, explained Guardian .
For two weeks, 47 patients participated in at least one session of reality. virtual – On average, during the research, four sessions were performed in each patient. Of these, 44 people were able to complete all the treatment exercises. At the end of the tests, the fear of height in the group receiving the VR treatment decreased on average 68%. In the other group, who received no type of treatment, the average decline was 3.3%.
"I'm 60 years old and I'm afraid of size, extreme fear of height, all my life. I came to the center, I had three VR sessions and I exceeded everything I thought I could do. I really did not think I could reach what is called Level 2, but I did, "said a participant in the study.
Two weeks after the end of the study, the benefits of virtual reality treatment be noticed. In addition, few side effects – very common among those who use the RV – like nausea have been noticed. Despite the positive results, the study faced limitations, as the results were reported by the patients themselves.
Warren Mansell, clinical psychologist at the University of Manchester who was not involved in the study, said that he was not surprised. experimental, but always stated that it was not clear if it is better than conventional.
Virtual Reality in Health
The success of the study demonstrates what researchers have done over the years. The use of RV, not only for the treatment of fear of height, but anxiety, depression and other phobias, has proved promising. There is a lack of new, more comprehensive studies that demonstrate the actual effectiveness of practices, but different physicians are already using the method to treat their patients.
In an interview with Tecmundo, psychologist Nataly Martinelli, who uses virtual reality glbades to treat with some patients, sees a great benefit in using the method.
"In conventional treatments of phobias and anxiety, the confrontation of fear is usually done by the imagination, by the imagination, by the imagination," explains the psychologist
VR allows the patient to experience the experience in a more intense and real way than to simply imagine.But, of course, the use of virtual reality can not be alone, with a psychology professional performing procedures at the same time.While it sounds like something new, the format has been studied for years.
"Virtual reality is a technology validated by more than 20 years of research in the field of psychology. At first, it's a paradigm shift, and like any change, it causes some discomfort to some professionals, "said Nataly Martinelli about the validation of treatment.
More: Virtual Reality for Seniors with Dementia
See also: Deception with Virtual Reality Devices
Sources:
Guardian Virtual Reality Therapy Automated helps people overcome phobia heights
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