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Review
. 2021 May;28(3):466-476.
doi: 10.1002/cpp.2623. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

The use of virtual reality in assessment and treatment of anxiety and related disorders

Katharina Meyerbröker  1   2 , Nexhmedin Morina  3
Affiliations
Review

The use of virtual reality in assessment and treatment of anxiety and related disorders

Katharina Meyerbröker et al. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2021 May.

Abstract

In recent years the development of new virtual environments has been qualitatively high and fast at the same time, but the dissemination of virtual reality (VR) in clinical practice is still scarce. The aim of this review is to give an insight into the state of the art of the use of VR as an assessment tool and treatment intervention in anxiety and related disorders as posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Besides an overview into the efficacy of VR, a summary will be given on assumed working mechanisms in virtual reality exposure therapy and how this aligns with current theoretical models. Further, it will be discussed how VR is accepted by patients and research into the reluctance of therapist to use this technology during treatment with focus on the therapeutic alliance and how it may be influenced by the use of VR. Finally, we discuss clinical and future issues as, for example, dissemination into clinical practice and what VR has to offer therapists in future. This not only in adult population but as well in younger patients, as young adolescents VR has a great potential as it connects easily with its playful elements to this population and might be a low threshold step to offer treatment or preventive interventions.

Keywords: OCD; PTSD; anxiety disorders; virtual reality; virtual reality exposure.

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Conflict of interest statement

Both authors declare to have no conflict of interest by the publication of this manuscript.

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