Current Psychiatry Reports· 2020Q1· Review
Virtual Reality Therapy in Social Anxiety Disorder
- 147citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2020year
Short summary
Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) shows promising results for social anxiety disorder (SAD), with no significant differences found compared to in vivo exposure when combined with cognitive interventions.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- VRET for SAD shows promising results, particularly concerning technological aspects and avatar interactions.
- Studies combining VRET with cognitive interventions found no significant efficacy differences compared to in vivo exposure.
- One RCT found VRET as a standalone treatment was not superior to in vivo exposure.
- There is a need for further research on VRET as a standalone treatment and its underlying therapeutic processes.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides an overview of current methods and important aspects to consider when applying virtual worlds in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD). RECENT FINDINGS: Different aspects such as dialogs between avatars and patients have been investigated as well as virtual audiences, emotional facial expression, and verbal interaction with avatars. Results of these studies are promising. Few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) in SAD. Unfortunately, most RCTs into the efficacy of VRET in comparison with exposure in vivo in SAD have been conducted with a combination of cognitive interventions and VRET. No differences between these conditions were found, but the pure effect of VRET as a stand-alone treatment has only been investigated in one RCT, wherein VRET was not superior to exposure in vivo. Current research into different facets of SAD and VRET has produced promising results with respect to technological aspects. No differences in efficacy between cognitive behavior therapy and VRET were found, but there is a clear need for studies investigating the efficacy of VRET as a stand-alone treatment and the therapeutic processes involved before this therapy can be disseminated in routine clinical practice.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Current Psychiatry Reports, 2020 · DOI ↗
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