A Literature Overview of Virtual Reality (VR) in Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Recent Advances and Limitations

In this paper, we conduct a literature survey about various virtual reality (VR) treatments in psychiatry. We collect 36 studies that made use of VR to provide clinical trials or therapies for patients with psychiatric disorders. In order to gain a better understanding of the management of pain and stress, we first investigate VR applications for patients to alleviate pain and stress during immersive activities in a virtual environment. Particularly for anxiety, VR exposure therapies are effective in provoking realistic reactions to feared stimuli. On top of that, the exposure therapies with simulated images are beneficial for patients with psychiatric disorders such as phobia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, VR environments have shown possibility to change depression, cognition, even social functions. We review the empirical evidences from VR-based treatments on psychiatric illnesses such as dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), schizophrenia and autism. Through cognitive training and social skill training, VR therapies for rehabilitation help to improve their quality of life. Recent advances in VR technology also demonstrate potential abilities to address cognitive and functional impairments in dementia. In terms of the different types of VR systems, we discuss feasibility of the technology within different stages of dementia as well as the methodological limitations. Although there is much room to improve, its widespread adoption in psychiatry is st...
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research