Since the development of the Oculus Rift in August 2012, an incredible explosion of interest surrounding virtual reality has occurred.
Previously thought of as the ultimate gaming accessory, virtual-reality headsets have made their way into just about every industry imaginable, and the healthcare field is no exception. This technology has slowly but surely transitioned into the field of mental health, as therapists have begun embracing this new technology as an effective therapeutic tool.
The use of immersive virtual reality in mental health treatment has escalated rapidly over the past twenty years. Patients are placed in various simulated environments designed to help them deal with difficult situations, effectively treating everything from depression, to anxiety, to phobias.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Stanford University psychiatrist Elias Aboujaoude claims that this kind of virtual exposure therapy offers new ways to treat various mental ailments.
Through exposure therapy, mental health professionals are able to place their their patients in uncomfortable, triggering situations and teach them new, healthy ways to cope with their fears and anxieties.
Virtual reality therapies help facilitate this, as many of these triggers–like flying in an airplane–are difficult to replicate in an office setting.
Albert Rizzo of the University of Southern California began studying this kind of exposure therapy in 1993, using Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) to treat veteran’s PTSD. In the twenty years since, numerous studies have shown that VRT can be an effective treatment for a variety of disorders.
Recently, Rizzo treated veterans through a VR program titled Virtual Iraq where patients were placed in various relevant Middle Eastern environments for exposure therapy, which included cities, desert roadways, and battlefields.
His research shows that after ten sessions, 16 out of the 20 subjects studied “no longer met PTSD checklist-military criteria for PTSD after treatment.” Similar studies indicate that VR therapy alone was as good as a combination of VR therapy and drug therapy combined.
VR has been used to treat other mental health issues as well, including anxiety and phobias. Irish developer Owen Harris recently invented a program called ‘Deep,’ a virtual reality game developed to guide users through breathing exercises that help with anxiety symptoms.
Numerous other developers have used VR as a means to treat a variety of phobias, including arachnophobia, fear of flying, public speaking, heights, blood, and public spaces.
The market for improving mental health treatment through VR has been well established and backed by decades of scientific research. This market, however, it in many ways still in its infancy, as high costs have prevented the technology from being available on a widespread level.
The recent advent of more affordable models, such as the Gear VR, provides an opportunity for therapists to decentralize treatment through telemedicine, a trend that will become more common as we look to the future of healthcare.
Although research on the effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in treating and coping with mental illness is somewhat limited, studies have shown that it has promise. As healthcare moves ever increasingly toward a digital platform, this form of telemedicine looks to be one possible avenue for the treatment of mental health issues.
**Aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola (Nov. 15, 2002) — Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Tim Sudduth, from Vashowish, Wash., demonstrates the Virtual Reality (VR) parachute trainer, while Aviation Survival Equipmentman 1st Class, Jackie Hilles, from Ekland, Penn., controls the program from a computer console. Students wear the VR glasses while suspended in a parachute harness, and then learn to control their movements through a series of computer-simulated scenarios. The computer receives signals from the student as they pull on the risers that control the parachute. The VR trainer also teaches aircrew personnel how to handle a parachute in different weather conditions and during possible equipment malfunctions. Navy and Marine Corps aviators receive state of the art training at the Naval Survival Training Institute. U.S. Navy photo by Chief PhotographerÕs Mate Chris Desmond. (RELEASED)
Danika McClure is a writer and musician from the Northwest who sometimes takes a 30 minute break from her other interests to enjoy a TV show. You can follow her on Twitter.