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A New Automated Psychological Therapy Based on a Virtual Reality Program (RV) Could Help Reduce Height Fear of People Clinically Diagnosed with Acrophobia
] This is shown by an essay published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, the first in which VR technology – which introduces the user into a virtual environment – is used for this type of psychological interventions [19659004] according to the prestigious publication
Acrophobia is the most common phobia and one in five claims to have suffered throughout his life, while one in twenty is clinically diagnosed
The experiment, conducted by Daniel Freeman, of the University of Oxford (United Kingdom), used a sample of one hundred people diagnosed with the disease. 3 9, acrophobia that did not receive any psychological therapy. About half of the participants (49) were treated with an RV software, while the other half (51) received the usual treatment.
Each individual had to cover questionnaires on the severity of his acrophobia at the beginning and the beginning. end of the process, and attend a control meeting at four weeks to finalize
How was the experience: the daily challenges
The RV therapy consisted of six half-hour sessions lasting two weeks during which, gradually, the users They entered complex spaces where had to face their fear of simple tasks as watching through a barrier, walk on a floating platform or save cats loaded on a tree. The program has a virtual coach that guides users and offers lessons.
During the game you can hear it say: "The reason why we are afraid of heights is because we think something The bad thing will happen, and we feel anxious, so we finish to avoid heights because they cool, but I will show you how to look at these thoughts in a new way. "
All users who completed the RV treatment ensured their acrophobia had was reduced and at the follow-up session, 34 people said they were not afraid of heights; but the 51 of the other procedure was as before.
"Virtual Reality Treatments have the potential to be effective, faster, and more appealing to many patients ," said Freeman, adding that may be a system of "high quality for many more people and at an affordable price. "
The Challenges Still Pending
However, experts have recognized some deficiencies in the trial, as do not compare it with other current therapies for phobias or failure to badess fear in a scenario real. One participant said that he noticed how " less unfavorable to the edges, steps and heights"
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" I still have a small reaction, both in the VR and on the outside, but it's shorter and I can feel my thighs relax, since I do not feel the need to go take the edge " he said. The next step is to check if automated treatments using virtual reality programs can be effective in the treatment of other mental health disorders.
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