10 GETTY
Innovative healthcare & alternative remedies I
10 MARCH 2019 • HEALTHCARE INNOVATIONS
f you, or someone you know, has a mental health issue, or simply fi nds specifi c real-life scenarios troubling or traumatic, it might
be time to embrace virtual reality (VR) technology. Computerised cognitive
behavioural therapy (CCBT) has long been used to tackle phobias such as a fear of heights and fl ying. Now, it seems, donning a pair of VR glasses could help anyone suff ering from a melange of health issues, ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to autism and paranoia.
THERAPEUTIC TECH T e idea is that if a person can be safely immersed in a controlled environment that may be uncomfortable, it’s possible they can then develop and learn new forms of behaviour, which they can then transfer to real-life situations. Recent studies by Dr Daniel
Freeman, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford, has shown that even short- term VR therapy can help reduce the levels of paranoia felt by individuals with psychosis. “We’re in the process of developing and trialling treatments clinically,” he says. “T ese have potential use in the NHS and hopefully later, direct to the general public.” Freeman initially tested 30 suff erers,
Vision for the future
Virtual reality isn’t just for gamers — as Sam Lewis discovers, it can have a range of benefi cial applications in mental health therapy
putting them on a ‘virtual’ 30-minute train or lift ride, encouraging them to engage with strangers and confront their fears. While the study wasn’t defi nitive, more than half of the participants claimed to no longer feel serious paranoia by the end of the day, and even the 20% who ‘stuck to their old ways’ exhibited reduced paranoia at the end of the test period.
“All too often, suff erers fi nd
day-to-day life so anxiety-provoking that they withdraw into a ruinous spiral of isolation,” says Freeman. “Everyday tasks such as getting on a bus, doing the shopping, or just speaking to other people can become very challenging. Active coaching in the situations that trouble people can help patients move beyond their fears. However, this is diffi cult without a skilled therapist who has the time to get out and about with patients who often fi nd the idea frightening.” VR isn’t a replacement for a
therapist, but it can, in addition, involve a face-to-face discussion with a ‘virtual’ therapist or ‘avatar’ — this could be particularly useful if a suff erer fi nds it diffi cult to open up to a real person.
HELP FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN Elsewhere, other studies are proving that VR therapy can also help autistic people make sense of the world and develop the skills they need to be independent. At T e University of Haifa, Israel, VR has been used to help teach autistic children how to safely cross a road.
TRANSFORMING TRAUMA Meanwhile in America, an application called Bravemind uses graduated exposure VR therapy to help soldiers relive traumatic events under a clinician’s care. “If VR is automated, combining
the best psychological science with sophisticated programming, it could dramatically increase provision of treatment,” says Freeman. “It has to be fully tested, the evidence gathered, but the potential is transformative for mental health services.”
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