Effectiveness of a stand-alone, smartphone-based virtual reality exposure app to reduce fear of heights in real-life: a randomized trial

Bentz, Dorothée; Wang, Nan; Ibach, Merle K.; Schicktanz, Nathalie; Zimmer, A.; Papassotiropoulos, Andreas; Quervain, Dominique J.‐F. de

doi:10.1038/s41746-021-00387-7

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Exposure (imaginal exposure and interoceptive exposure [ 15 ]) is a CBT technique that was not represented at all in mental health apps included in our review. However, recent research has exploited virtual reality for realizing exposure apps; for example, to reduce the fear of heights [ 63 ]. It is obvious that there is still potential for developing and testing mHealth apps that target exposure techniques.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in e–Mental Health Apps: Literature Review

Denecke¹,

Schmid²,

Nüssli³

2022

J Med Internet Res

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Background To address the matter of limited resources for treating individuals with mental disorders, e–mental health has gained interest in recent years. More specifically, mobile health (mHealth) apps have been suggested as electronic mental health interventions accompanied by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Objective This study aims to identify the therapeutic aspects of CBT that have been implemented in existing mHealth apps and the technologies used. From these, we aim to derive research gaps that should be addressed in the future. Methods Three databases were screened for studies on mHealth apps in the context of mental disorders that implement techniques of CBT: PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library. The studies were independently selected by 2 reviewers, who then extracted data from the included studies. Data on CBT techniques and their technical implementation in mHealth apps were synthesized narratively. Results Of the 530 retrieved citations, 34 (6.4%) studies were included in this review. mHealth apps for CBT exploit two groups of technologies: technologies that implement CBT techniques for cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and problem solving (exposure is not yet realized in mHealth apps) and technologies that aim to increase user experience, adherence, and engagement. The synergy of these technologies enables patients to self-manage and self-monitor their mental state and access relevant information on their mental illness, which helps them cope with mental health problems and allows self-treatment. Conclusions There are CBT techniques that can be implemented in mHealth apps. Additional research is needed on the efficacy of the mHealth interventions and their side effects, including inequalities because of the digital divide, addictive internet behavior, lack of trust in mHealth, anonymity issues, risks and biases for user groups and social contexts, and ethical implications. Further research is also required to integrate and test psychological theories to improve the impact of mHealth and adherence to the e–mental health interventions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in e–Mental Health Apps: Literature Review

Denecke¹,

Schmid²,

Nüssli³

2022

J Med Internet Res

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“…The experiment confirmed that the technology effectively reduces anxiety even with the technicians as the device is available for users of low cost and limited therapeutic support [23]. Therapists also see potential in VR technology and state various advantages, such as increased accessibility and control over frightening triggers [24,25].…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 67%

Creative Intervention for Acrophobia Sufferers through AIVE Concept

et al. 2021

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This research applies exposure to the visual appearance technology of virtual reality (VR). The motivation for this research is to generate a creative intervention by using regular smartphone devices and implementing them in VR using Google Cardboard as a medium visual display for exposure therapy at high altitudes. The VR application in this research is called acrophobia immersive virtual exposure (AIVE), which utilizes the Unity3D software to develop this treatment therapy application. The utilization of exposure therapy was carried out as a therapeutic medium for acrophobia sufferers. A commissioner was given to measure the usefulness of applications and devices in the VR environment created, and as many as 20 users had tested the VR device. The existing questionnaire was revised to develop a questionnaire for acrophobia sufferers, which was then used as an index measurement in the VR environment. The research is expected to be used to design a simulator and as a therapeutic medium using immersive VR devices in future studies.

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“…VR immerses the patient in a digital virtual environment and exposes them to a specific fear stimulus. There is clear evidence for the effectiveness of VR-based interventions in treating agoraphobia, specific phobias (e.g., acrophobia, arachnophobia, and aviophobia), and social anxiety disorder [107][108][109][110]. The effect sizes are comparable to those of traditional CBT [107,108,110].…”

Section: Virtual Realitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Psychiatry in the Digital Age: A Blessing or a Curse?

Roth

Papassotiropoulos

Brühl

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Social distancing and the shortage of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of population aging on the healthcare system, as well as the rapid pace of digital innovation are catalyzing the development and implementation of new technologies and digital services in psychiatry. Is this transformation a blessing or a curse for psychiatry? To answer this question, we conducted a literature review covering a broad range of new technologies and eHealth services, including telepsychiatry; computer-, internet-, and app-based cognitive behavioral therapy; virtual reality; digital applied games; a digital medicine system; omics; neuroimaging; machine learning; precision psychiatry; clinical decision support; electronic health records; physician charting; digital language translators; and online mental health resources for patients. We found that eHealth services provide effective, scalable, and cost-efficient options for the treatment of people with limited or no access to mental health care. This review highlights innovative technologies spearheading the way to more effective and safer treatments. We identified artificially intelligent tools that relieve physicians from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on collaborative doctor–patient relationships. The transformation of traditional clinics into digital ones is outlined, and the challenges associated with the successful deployment of digitalization in psychiatry are highlighted.

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Effectiveness of a stand-alone, smartphone-based virtual reality exposure app to reduce fear of heights in real-life: a randomized trial

Cited by 20 publications

References 32 publications

Implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in e–Mental Health Apps: Literature Review

Implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in e–Mental Health Apps: Literature Review

Creative Intervention for Acrophobia Sufferers through AIVE Concept

Psychiatry in the Digital Age: A Blessing or a Curse?

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