Virtual reality – a valuable tool to advance treatment of mental disorders

Abstract

Human-computer interactions are a new path of treatment in mental healthcare. Virtual Reality technology is an interesting example of a digital tool that can be used in the treatment of mental disorders. It may be useful for improving personal competencies or overcoming deficits. This paper presents a range of successful VR applications in psychiatry and psychology. VR was found to be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, PTSD, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. Repetitiveness of virtual experience in a particular environment offered by VR technology makes it a promising option in the treatment of mental disorders. Another asset of VR is a good control of intensity of therapeutic interventions that can be regulated by a therapist. Moreover, at the VR session can be individualized for each patient and it may be adapted to his/her personal preferences and needs. VR offers sense of "being here and now" during the session. It is also an engaging method of training for patients who do not want to use the conventional training techniques. Recently, VR use has become more available and acknowledged. However, there are still certain limitations for its broader use in the sector of mental health. The most significant one being the high cost of VR software designing, as well as VR hardware devices, which are still too expensive for mass adoption.

Immersive Virtual Reality for the Reduction of State Anxiety in Clinical Interview Exams: Prospective Cohort Study

“…It utilizes a human-machine interface that immerses people into digitally rendered illusions that are multisensory in composition and projected by computer hardware. These illusions act as virtual environments, allowing people to condition themselves against symptoms of anxiety by undergoing VR exposure therapy (VRET), a form of systematic desensitization that facilitates mental fortification against a feared stimulus [ 1 ]. VRET allows for the training of affective regulation, while people are subjected to situational contexts that induce anxiety [ 1 , 2 ].…”

“…These illusions act as virtual environments, allowing people to condition themselves against symptoms of anxiety by undergoing VR exposure therapy (VRET), a form of systematic desensitization that facilitates mental fortification against a feared stimulus [ 1 ]. VRET allows for the training of affective regulation, while people are subjected to situational contexts that induce anxiety [ 1 , 2 ]. VRET can safely provide answers to inaccessible and intangible concepts by observing the responses of people who are subjected to fear- and anxiety-inducing stimuli, which would otherwise be considered too dangerous or unethical to perform in the real world [ 3 ].…”

Pemanfaatan Virtual Reality Untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Bersosialisasi Pada Klien Skizofrenia: Literature Review

“…VR adalah teknologi aplikasi yang menggunakan komputer untuk menghasilkan dan mereplikasikan situasi kehidupan atau visual yang nyata dimana seseorang dapat memasuki lingkungan 3 dimensi dan berinteraksi secara langsung dengan dunia tersebut. (Grochowska, Jarema, & Wichniak, 2019;Kardong-edgren, Farra, Alinier, & Young, 2019). Generasi terbaru dari VR adalah Head Mounted Display (HMD) yang digunakan di kepala, HMD berfungsi menampilkan gambar pada mata, dimana ketika pemakai memutar kepala untuk melihat ke sekelilingnya, komputer akan memperbaharui gambar yang ditampilkan.…”

“…Selama sesi VR, klien dapat bertemu dan berinteraksi dengan tokoh buatan (avatar), di mana mereka dapat mempraktikkan komunikasi secara langsung. (Grochowska et al, 2019). Dengan VR, simulasi dapat ditingkatkan level kesulitannya dan dapat diulang sampai tercapainya hasil yang optimal.…”

“…Untuk negara berkembang seperti Indonesia, penggunaan VR masih terbentur pada mahalnya biaya pengembangan dan riset dalam pembuatan program VR. Pembuatan satu skenario virtual memerlukan biaya ratusan ribu euro, sehingga pemanfaatan VR lebih banyak ditemukan di lembaga penelitian dan institusi perguruan tinggi ketimbang di fasilitas kesehatan pemerintah ataupun swasta (Grochowska et al, 2019). Namun seiring dengan maraknya kemajuan di dunia digital, sumber daya manusia dan perangkat baik software maupun hardware yang semakin murah, pemanfaatan VR untuk pengobatan kesehatan mental dapat lebih diperbanyak.…”