Overcoming phobias with a New Zealand virtual reality software

Overcoming phobias with a New Zealand virtual reality software

Researchers discovered that the software can significantly lessen phobia symptoms by progressively exposing users to their biggest fears.

Julie Raine's thinking would get foggy in the days before an injection because she was terrified the needle would hurt her.

After a restless night the night before the injection, she would try to relax with sweet beverages, calming words, and music. She would look away in fear as the needle was inserted, and after it was done, she would sob and need a day to recuperate. She would typically completely forgo her appointment.

Since she can remember, the New Zealander has struggled with trypanophobia, a fear of needles.

It kept Raine from receiving blood tests, prohibited her from receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, and forced her to leave the room where her daughter, a teenager, was about to undergo treatment.

She would never have believed someone if they had informed her that she would be able to receive a Covid-19 vaccination without worry and without assistance. But utilizing virtual reality to address her anxiety has changed her life.

 

Researchers from the University of Otago report in a paper published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry that a six-week clinical trial of the phone app oVRcome, which is intended to treat phobias using a combination of mindfulness modules and virtual reality exposure therapy, has been successful.

In 2020, tech entrepreneur Adam Hutchinson identified a treatment gap for anxiety disorders and other mental health issues. According to the World Health Organization, only 15–25% of disorders are treated globally in low-middle income countries, while up to 50%–65% are treated in high-income countries.

The problem in New Zealand's mental health system is being caused by understaffing and a lack of funding and the country has the worst rates of youth suicide in the developed world.

If an anxiety problem is not addressed, there is a two to three times greater probability that the person would have a more serious condition, such as depression, alcoholism, or even suicide, according to Hutchinson.

We may be able to prevent the emergence of more serious disorders if we can provide patients an affordable, effective option they may use in the comfort of their own homes early in the course of their mental health therapy.

"Something truly amazing happened."

Between May and October 2021, Hutchinson conducted testing after consulting with clinical psychologists and assembling a prototype. The app is based on the behavioral therapy known as exposure therapy, which involves exposing a patient to a scenario that would typically make them anxious or one they would attempt to avoid in a safe way.

 

The six-week research had 109 people and addressed five typical phobias: fear of needles, spiders, flying, heights, and dogs.

The trial's main requirement was for participants to utilize a virtual reality headset to confront their darkest fears. The videos, which were shot in the real world, begin innocently before moving on to circumstances that are more likely to cause anxiety.

Before, during, and after seeing the movies, the participants are required to keep track of their anxiety levels. They can advance to the next stage whenever their anxiety is below a certain level.

To prepare an injection for Raine, a nurse had to first unwrap a needle from its plastic wrapper or set up a metal tray with materials in a virtual hospital area, not actually give it.

It took her 15 times to finish the video, she admitted.

Then, something extraordinary occurred, changing my perspective completely and making me want to witness virtual reality. After realizing she had never fully observed the entire process, Raine was able to consider an injection from a fresh perspective.

In order to be a good mother, she added, "I wanted to be able to at least sit with them in the room without rushing out." Since the experiment, she has not only been able to remain with her children for their vaccinations but has also been able to receive the shot herself.

The trial's chief investigator, Dr. Cameron Lacey, an associate psychology professor at the University of Otago, claimed the app had achieved great success.

This was demonstrated by the way participants described the intensity of their phobias six weeks after the training ended and immediately after. Participants averaged 26 out of 40 at the start of the study, suggesting a moderate to severe fear. That number dropped to seven and stayed there after the program.

Raine made the decision to take part in the experiment because she wanted to bring her kids for the Covid-19 vaccination.

 

Following the trial's success, the app—which is now commercially available—has been updated to incorporate new phobias and will soon be joined by programs for depression, addiction, social anxiety disorders, and panic disorders. Anyone in Upcoming Zealand who is interested in taking part in the new trials can register.

According to Lacey, the program's accessibility contributes to its effectiveness.

"With virtual reality, you may be at home and transferred to a setting with those dreaded stimuli, such as heights or spiders, in a safe atmosphere.