Virtual Reality Exposure Treatment in Phobias: a Systematic Review

Freitas, Rúben; Velosa, Vitor Hugo Silva; Abreu, Leonardo Tadeu Nunes; Jardim, Ricardo Lucas; Santos, João Artur Vieira; Peres, Beatriz; Campos, Pedro

doi:10.1007/s11126-021-09935-6

Cited by 77 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This disorder falls into the DSM-V category of “Anxiety Disorders” and is characterized by an “excessive and irrational fear of the social situations in which the individual is exposed”. Analyzing the literature, we found many systematic reviews that deal with anxiety disorders and phobias (Wechsler et al [ 8 ]; Freitas et al [ 9 ]; Kelson et al [ 10 ]; Krzystanek et al [ 11 ]). However, no one focuses exclusively or deeply enough on Social Anxiety Disorder per se.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Simulation Game—Virtual Reality Therapy for the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review

Caponnetto

Sergio

Maglia

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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(1) Background: With the term Virtual reality (VR) we refer to a three-dimensional environment generated by the computer, in which subjects interact with the environment as if they were really inside it. The most used VR tools are the so-called HMD (head-mounted display) which make it possible to achieve what theorists define “direct mediated action”. The aim of our systematic review is specifically to investigate the applications of virtual reality therapy for the treatment of social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia. The most common treatment for social anxiety disorder is represented by “in vivo exposure therapy” (iVET). This method consists of exposing the participant, in a gradual and controlled way, to anxious stimuli, with the goal to change the subject’s response to the object or situation that is causing the fear. However, the main flaw of “in Vivo therapies” is represented by both the huge costs involved and the possible disturbance variables that can hinder the execution of the therapeutic treatment. Virtual reality exposure therapy could therefore, if confirmed in its effectiveness, constitute a solution to eliminate these two defects demonstrated by “in vivo exposure therapy”. The goal is to use VR as a means for the clinician to build a tailor-made path for the participant in order to make him acquire “in virtual” those skills necessary for a good adaptation in the “real” world. (2) Methods: From February 2021 until the date of submission of the article (September 2021), we conducted a systematic review aiming to verify the effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) for the treatment of SAD. (3) Results: We identified a total of 205 unique articles. Among these, 20 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 5 of these met the eligibility criteria and were, therefore, included in the final systematic review. (4) Conclusions: Virtual reality therapies proved to be a valid alternative to the acquisition of social skills suitable for improving the symptoms of SAD. Although there has not been a significant difference between VRET and iVET, the low costs and flexibility of VRET open up new scenarios for achieving greater psychophysical well-being.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Simulation Game—Virtual Reality Therapy for the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review

Caponnetto

Sergio

Maglia

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Beyond distraction, future studies may explore new ways of improving well-being and health support in children affected by chronic diseases, e.g., breathing exercises, VR mindfulness coping skills [ 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ], VR exposure therapy [ 59 ], and psychological treatments for chronic pain [ 18 , 50 ] for age-appropriate children/adolescents. Additional research and development is recommended.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Exploratory Study on the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Analgesia for Children and Adolescents with Kidney Diseases Undergoing Venipuncture

Atzori

Vagnoli

Graziani

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The current study evaluated the effectiveness of VR analgesia among pediatric and adolescent patients with kidney disease undergoing venipuncture. Patients at an Italian Children’s hospital (N = 82, age range 7–17 years) undergoing venipuncture were randomly assigned to a No VR group (non-medical conversation) vs. a Yes VR group (VR analgesia). After the procedure, patients gave 0–10 Verbal Numeric Pain Scale ratings. Compared with patients in the No VR Group, patients in the Yes VR group reported significantly lower “Pain intensity”(No VR mean = 2.74, SD = 2.76 vs. Yes VR mean = 1.56, SD = 1.83) and the VR group also rated “Pain unpleasantness” significantly lower than the No VR group (No VR mean = 2.41, SD = 0.94 vs. Yes VR mean = 1.17, SD = 1.80). Patients distracted with VR also reported having significantly more fun during the venipuncture procedure. No side effects emerged. In addition to reducing pain intensity, VR has the potential to make venipuncture a more fun and less unpleasant experience for children with CKD, as measured in the present study for the first time. Finally, in exploratory analyses, children aged 7–11 in the VR group reported 55% lower worst pain than control subjects in the same age range, whereas children aged 12 to 17 in the VR group only reported 35% lower worst pain than control subjects. Additional research and development using more immersive VR is recommended.

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“…As for phobia treatment, the available apps target various types of phobias and offer the users immersive exposure therapy. These types of apps may prove effective with some phobias when they offer experiences that mimic in vivo exposure [31], [46]. However, more research with larger samples is still needed to establish this evidence across all types of phobias.…”

Section: App Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A particularly promising VR application and research field is healthcare. In fact, research on medical and clinical applications of VR has been increasing rapidly [6], [16], [17] and researchers have been exploring how VR can support various healthcare activities [18] such as medical education and training [19]- [21], communication training [22]- [24], physical rehabilitation [25]- [28], dementia and memory loss rehabilitation in older patients [29], [30], mental health interventions [31]- [36], patient education, drug design, and palliative care. For end-users, VR is mostly used for gaming and watching movies [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual reality for healthcare: A scoping review of commercially available applications for head-mounted displays

Helou¹,

Khalil²,

Daou³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Objective: This scoping review aimed to describe the scope of commercially available virtual reality (VR) healthcare applications for mainstream head-mounted displays (HMD)s.Methods: A search was conducted during late April and early May 2022 over five major VR app stores using “health,” “healthcare,” “medicine,” and “medical” as keywords. Apps were screened based on their title and description sections. Metadata collected included: title, description, release date, price (free or paid), multilingual support, VR app store availability, and HMD support.Results: The search yielded 1995 apps, out of which 60 met the inclusion criteria. The analysis showed that the number of healthcare VR apps has been steadily increasing since 2016, but no developer has released more than two apps so far. Most of the reviewed apps can run on HTC Vive, Oculus Quest, and Valve Index. Thirty-four (56.7%) apps had a free version, and 12 (20%) apps were multilingual, i.e., supported languages other than English. The reviewed apps fell into eight major themes: life science education (3D anatomy, physiology and pathology, biochemistry, and genetics); rehabilitation (physical, mental, and phobia therapy); public health training (safety, life-saving skills, and management); medical training (surgical and patient simulators); role-playing as a patient; 3D medical imagery viewing; children’s health; and online health communities.Conclusions: Although commercial healthcare VR is still in its early phases, end-users can already access a broad range of healthcare VR apps on mainstream HMDs. Further research is needed to assess the usefulness and usability of existing apps.

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Virtual Reality Exposure Treatment in Phobias: a Systematic Review

Cited by 77 publications

References 22 publications

The Simulation Game—Virtual Reality Therapy for the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review

The Simulation Game—Virtual Reality Therapy for the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review

An Exploratory Study on the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Analgesia for Children and Adolescents with Kidney Diseases Undergoing Venipuncture

Virtual reality for healthcare: A scoping review of commercially available applications for head-mounted displays

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