| 1. |
- Lindner, Philip, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes Toward and Familiarity With Virtual Reality Therapy Among Practicing Cognitive Behavior Therapists : A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in the Era of Consumer VR Platforms
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-1078. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an efficacious treatment for fear and anxiety and has the potential to solve both logistic issues for therapists and be used for scalable self-help interventions. However, VRET has yet to see large-scale implementation in clinical settings or as a consumer product, and past research suggests that while therapists may acknowledge the many advantages of VRET, they view the technology as technically inaccessible and expensive. We reasoned that after the 2016 release of several consumer virtual reality (VR) platforms and associated public acquaintance with VR, therapists' concerns about VRET may have evolved. The present study surveyed attitudes toward and familiarity with VR and VRET among practicing cognitive behavior therapists (n = 185) attending a conference. Results showed that therapists had an overall positive attitude toward VRET (pros rated higher than cons) and viewed VR as applicable to conditions other than anxiety. Unlike in earlier research, high financial costs and technical difficulties were no longer top-rated negative aspects. Average negative attitude was a larger negative predictor of self-rated likelihood of future use than positive attitude was a positive predictor and partially mediated the positive association between VRET knowledge and likelihood of future use, suggesting that promotional efforts should focus on addressing concerns. We conclude that therapist's attitudes toward VRET appear to have evolved in recent years, and no longer appear to constitute a major barrier to implementing the next generation of VR technology in regular clinical practice.
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| 2. |
- Lindner, Philip, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes towards and familiarity with Virtual Reality therapy among practicing cognitive behavior therapists : A first survey study in the era of consumer VR platforms
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives: To survey attitudes towards, knowledge of and familiarity with Virtual Reality (VR) technology and VR exposure therapy among practicing cognitive behavior therapists, after the recent release of consumer VR platforms, with the aim of identifying potential human barriers to implementing this technology and therapeutic method in regular care. Participants: 185 practicing cognitive behavior therapists attending a conference.Measures: Self-rated likelihood of future use of VR in a clinical setting, applicability of VR to treating specific mental disorders, as well as ratings of different positive and negative aspects of VR exposure therapy – all assessed using a standardized survey.Results: Very few respondents reported having used VR clinically. Therapists had an overall positive attitude toward VRET (pros rated higher than cons) and viewed VR as applicable to conditions other than anxiety. Unlike in earlier research, a high financial cost was no longer a top-rated negative aspects. Average negative attitude was a larger negative predictor of self-rated likelihood of future use than positive attitude was a positive predictor.Conclusions: We conclude that therapist’s attitudes towards VRET appear to have evolved in recent years, coinciding with the release of consumer VR platforms, and no longer appear to constitute a major barrier to implementing the next generation of VR technology in regular clinical practice.
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| 3. |
- Ma, Lichen, et al.
(författare)
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Attentional Bias Modification in Virtual Reality : A VR-Based Dot-Probe Task With 2D and 3D Stimuli
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Attentional bias modification (ABM) aims to reduce anxiety by attenuating bias toward threatening information. The current study incorporated virtual reality (VR) technology and three-dimensional stimuli with a dot-probe task to evaluate the effects of a VR-based ABM training on attentional bias and anxiety symptoms.Methods: A total of 100 participants were randomized to four training groups. Attentional bias was assessed at pre- and post-training, and anxiety symptoms were assessed at pre-training, post-training, 1-week follow-up, and 3-months follow-up.Results: Change in anxiety did not correlate with change in bias (p = 0.24). A repeated-measures ANOVA showed no significant difference in bias from pre- to post-ABM (p = 0.144), or between groups (p = 0.976). For anxiety symptoms, a linear mixed-effects model analysis revealed a significant effect of time. Participants showed reduction in anxiety score at each successive assessment (p < 0.001). However, no other significant main effect or interactions were found. A clinically significant change analysis revealed that 9% of participants were classified as ‘recovered’ at 3-months follow-up.Conclusion: A single session of VR-based ABM did not change attentional bias. The significant reduction in anxiety was not specific to active training, and the majority of participants remained clinically unchanged.
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| 4. |
- Ma, Lichen, et al.
(författare)
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Attentional bias modification in virtual reality
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: It has been theorised that attentional biases (sensitivity and hypervigilance towards threat-related information) may play a causal role in the aetiology and maintenance of dysfunctional anxiety. Attentional bias modification (ABM) aims to directly modify the underlying attentional biases implicated in anxiety disorders, and consequently reduce anxiety symptoms.We conducted two studies that examined the effectiveness of ABM training programs in reducing attentional bias and anxiety. Both programs were delivered via virtual reality (VR) technology. Study 1 utilised a traditional dot-probe ABM, and Study 2 utilised a Person Identity Match (PIM) ABM. In addition to the comparison of two different ABM programs, the studies also investigated whether the use of 3 dimensional stimuli has an impact on the outcome of the ABM training.Methods:Study 1One hundred participants with elevated anxiety scores (LSAS > 30) were randomly assigned to 4 groups:1. ABM with 2D stimuli (n = 25)2. Mock-ABM with 2D stimuli (n = 25)3. ABM with 3D stimuli (n = 25)4. Mock-ABM with 3D stimuli (n = 25)The participants first completed questionnaires that measured their anxiety and other factors of interest. After which the participants completed 100 trials of a dot-probe task to measure their pre-training attentional bias. The participants then completed 360 trials of ABM training. Following ABM, the participants carried out post-training bias measurement and anxiety measurement. Finally, the participants answered follow-up questionnaires 1 week and 3months after the ABM training.Study 2Study 2 shares the exact same design as Study 1, but utilised a different version of ABMtraining.Results: Data analysis is currently ongoing and results are pending. The change in attentional bias and anxiety are the primary outcome measures. Both within-group comparisons (pre-training vs. post-training) and between-group comparisons (ABM vs. mock; 2D vs 3D; Dot-probe vs. PIM) will be carried out. Some preliminary results will be presented at the conference.Conclusions: Pending
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