Virtual Reality App Trial helps to Reduce Common Phobias, Says Research. An experiment managed by the University of Otago in Christchurch recently gives fresh hope to the merge one in twelve people worldwide who are afraid of flying, needles, heights, spiders, or dogs.
The search of the study was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
The trial, led by Associate Professor Cameron Lacey, from the Department of Psychological Medicine, studied phobia patients using a headset and a smartphone app treatment programmer — a merge of Virtual Reality (VR) 360-degree video inflate therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
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The results from the trial showed a 75 per cent reduction in phobia indication after six weeks of the treatment programme.
“The boost they reported suggests there’s great potential for the use of VR and mobile phone apps as a means of self-guided treatment for people struggling with often-crippling phobias,” Associate Professor Lacey says.
“Participants demonstrated a strong acceptability of the app, highlighting its potential for delivering easily accessible, cost-effective treatment at scale, of particular use for those unable to access in-person exposure therapy to treat their phobias.”
A total of 129 people took part in the six-week randomised, controlled trial, between May 2021 and December 2021, with a 12-week follow-up. Participants needed to be aged between 18-64 years, have a fear of either flying, heights, needles, spiders and dogs. They were emailed weekly questionnaires to record their progress. Those experiencing adverse events could request contact from a clinical psychologist at any stage.
“Participants experiencing all five types of phobia showed comparable improvements in the Severity Measures for Specific Phobia scale over the course of the trial. The average severity score decreased from 28/40 (moderate to severe symptoms) to 7/40 (minimal symptoms) after six weeks. There were no participant withdrawals due to intervention-related adverse events.
“The oVRcome app aedded what’s called “exposure therapy,” a form of CBT exposing participants to their specific phobias in short bursts, to build up their tolerance to the phobia in a clinically-approved and controlled way,” Associate Professor Lacey says.
“Some participants reported significant progress in overcoming their phobias after the trial period, with one feeling confident enough to now book an overseas family holiday, another lining up for a Covid vaccine and another reporting they now felt confident not only knowing there was a spider in the house but that they could possibly remove it themselves.”
anality “This means the levels of exposure therapy could be tailored to an individual’s needs which is a particular strength. The more traditional in-person exposure treatment for specific phobias have a notoriously high dropout rate due to discomfort, inconvenience and a lack of motivation in people seeking out fears to expose themselves to. With this VR app treatment, triallists had improvement control in exposure to their fears, as well as control over when and where exposure occurs,” says Associate Professor Lacey.
Participants downloaded a fully self-guided smartphone app called “oVRcome,” developed by Christchurch tech entrepreneur Adam Hutchinson, aimed at treating patients with phobia and anxiet
The app was paired with a headset to submerge participants in virtual weather to help treat their phobia.
The results from the trial showed a 75 per cent reduction in phobia indication after six weeks of the treatment programme.
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