1/12/2024 0 Comments Virtual counseling gamesThis sense of (virtual) presence is a key concept in VR and is what distinguishes this technology from others along the so-called mixed reality spectrum: someone playing a traditional video game, for example, or even reading a captivating book, may very well become immersed in it but is unlikely to feel physically transported to the locale depicted on their computer screen. In essence, VR refers to any technology that creates a simulated experience of being present in a virtual environment that replaces the physical world (Riva et al. 2019) coverage of this exciting application is however beyond the scope of this review. 2018) and treatment mechanisms (Scheveneels et al. In addition to being a treatment tool, VR is also seeing increasing use as an experimental platform for studying psychopathology (Juvrud et al. The focus will be on VR-CBT treatments for anxiety disorders since this application dominates the extant literature, although other clinical applications will also be discussed. Perspectives on the future of the field will also be provided. 2019) but rather to give a historical overview and context, showing how developments in technology have fueled clinical progress. 2017) or a meta-analysis of the field (Botella et al. The aim is not to provide a systematic review (Freeman et al. This narrative review will introduce readers to VR technology and how it can be put to clinical use, and discuss the past, present, and future of VR-CBT for mental disorders. With immersive technology like virtual reality (VR), it is possible to revolutionize not only how treatment is delivered but also how change-promoting experiences are designed and evaluated, by making the unrealistic a reality. The novelty of iCBT however lied in the format of delivery, not the therapeutic content. Without any doubt, iCBT was certainly revolutionary at the time of the first appearance, challenging entrenched preconceptions of what psychotherapy is, offering unlimited dissemination of evidence-based treatment, and raising the scientific standard of psychotherapy research to that of the medical field (Andersson 2016). 2016) or have afterwards been published as such (Carlbring et al. The bibliotherapeutic roots of iCBT are apparent in that many trials adapted existing self-help books (Andersson et al. These modules convey in writing what would otherwise be conveyed orally in the face-to-face format, covering both psychoeducation and exercises. iCBT, as it is typically packaged, is in essence a digital form of bibliotherapy: a virtual self-help book where modules replace chapters, delivered not on paper but via an online platform, with or without support from an online therapist (often through asynchronous messaging). 2018), and is now implemented in routine care in many countries (Titov et al. A prominent success story of the merger of technology and psychotherapy is Internet-administered CBT (iCBT), which enjoys a robust evidence base with demonstrated efficacy equivalent to face-to-face treatments for mental disorders and psychosomatic conditions (Carlbring et al. The rapid, paradigm shifting and often unpredictable development and dissemination in the last decades of different consumer information technologies (everything from personal computers to portable media players, smartphones, and wearables) have allowed researchers and clinicians to explore new avenues for treatment design and delivery. Since exercises are so central in CBT-congruent with its historical emphasis on specific as opposed to common factors (Buchholz and Abramowitz 2020)-this therapeutic tradition is inherently well suited for technology-mediated delivery formats that do not rely on there being a traditional client-therapist relationship. This is often explicitly framed as a multi-stage process, including first providing a psychotherapeutic rationale for the exercise, and then detailed and concrete planning, controlled execution, reporting of specific outcomes, drawing lessons learned, and progressing to the next exercise. A distinguishing feature of CBT, common to and prominent in both its behavioral and cognitive roots, is the emphasis on carrying out exercises designed to change behavior and/or cognitions related to some problem area (Mennin et al. Since its merging into a coherent therapeutic tradition in the 1980s, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has proven a remarkable success in treating a wide range of mental disorders, psychosomatic conditions, and many non-medical issues for which sufferers need help with.
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