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Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access

Studies and researches

No. 47 (2020)

The state of art about the use of Virtual Reality in the treatment of anxiety and the presentation of a new software

Submitted
febbraio 5, 2021
Published
2021-02-05

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) use in anxiety disorders treatment according to the Cognitive Behavioral approach, with a special attention on the intervention based on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
The studies that used VR exposure for the treatment of major anxiety disorders studies were reviewed (aerophobia, acrophobia, claustrophobia, driving phobia, arachnophobia, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic with agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder); one session was dedicated to studies that examined the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder.
The research in this field suggests that the results obtained at the end of the treatment also extend to real life and there are no significant differences compared to the results obtained with in vivo exposure at the end of the treatment and the follow-up.
In conclusion, we will describe a software that is under construction, that has been designed to guarantee the most realistic experience of VR Exposure as possible, through the customization and calibration of the parameters on the specific patient’s problem.

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