How Can Therapy Be Impacted by Virtual Reality?

Mental health became a big issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Government regulations heavily curtailed social interaction and made isolation mandatory.

While necessary, this also caused anxiety and depression to increase by 25% globally.

This was a prominent call to action for health organizations worldwide, and new technologies are developing to help combat mental illness. One of those technologies is the field of virtual reality (VR).

The Benefits of Virtual Reality Therapy

Virtual reality therapy is the use of virtual technology to aid in mental therapy. VR can expand the realm of exposure therapy by creating a simulated environment where patients can work through stressors.

Therapists can have complete control of these environments to mitigate exposure to stressors, which then allows people to learn skills such as anxiety management.

Once an emerging technology, virtual reality can now create interactable, fully immersive environments. This technology has various applications across the mental health field, from diagnosis to treatment.

House Calls Through Virtual Reality

Aside from direct treatments, therapists can use virtual reality to make house calls. These virtual sessions require a VR headset or other device to connect to each other.

Therapists and patients use virtual avatars to communicate with each other in the simulation.

Virtual sessions might even feel more relaxing for patients with social anxiety than in-person ones.

These people might then feel freer to talk about stressors like issues at home or the current social climate and how it affects them.

Treating Phobias with Virtual Reality Therapy

One area of mental health where virtual reality therapy is making major changes is how doctors treat phobias. Phobias are an irrational and often crippling fear of a subject that does not pose an immediate threat to the individual.

While these phobias are deep-seated, patients can learn to overcome them using VR exposure and cognitive behavioral therapy.

VR exposure therapy is best done with the instruction of a licensed therapist. However, self-treatment apps are also available. One particular app is called oVRcome.

Developed by tech entrepreneur Adam Hutchinson, the app uses a combination of mental modules and exposure therapy to help treat patients.

Settings are available to control the intensity of the environments, and patients can allow their therapists access to their sessions.

With COVID-19 still a big concern, apps like oVRcome can ensure patients keep up with their therapy even if they cannot leave their homes.

Treating PTSD Using VR

Like phobias, PTSD is another area where virtual reality therapy can be helpful. Therapists can use VR environments to simulate conditions that trigger patients’ PTSD.

The therapists can control the intensity of these environments, gradually lessening the effect of the trigger. Studies show virtual reality therapy has a success rate of up to 90% when used to treat PTSD.

Virtual Reality Therapy and Substance Abuse

In 2022, over 20 million people in America ages 12 and over were victims of substance abuse. VR therapy is developing to help substance abusers overcome their addictions.

This form of VR exposure therapy stimulates specific experiences patients are sensitive to.

After recording their findings, therapists can make informed decisions on additional forms of treatment that are best for the patient.

Regular sessions of this therapy can help the patient develop behaviors that will be beneficial to them.

VR Treatment Is the Future

Though VR exposure therapy is proven to be effective in a wide variety of areas, it still has yet to be widely adopted. This is due to the current limitations and skepticism around the use of virtual reality.

However, as technology improves, VR treatment will become more effective.