Definition of a VR-Based Protocol to Treat Social Phobia

Abstract

Social phobia is an anxiety disorder that is accessible to two forms of treatment yielding scientifically validated results: drugs and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Graded exposure to feared social situations is fundamental to obtain an improvement of the anxious symptoms. Traditionally, exposure therapies are done either in vivo or by imagining the situations. In vivo exposure is sometimes difficult to control and many patients have some difficulties in using imagination. Virtual reality (VR) seems to bring significant advantages. It allows exposures to numerous and varied situations. This paper reports the definition of a clinical protocol whose purpose is to assess the efficiency of a VR therapy compared to a CBT and to the absence of treatment for social phobic patients. It explains the illness' diagnosis and its usual treatments. It exposes all the architecture of the study, the assessment tools, the content and unfold of the therapy sessions. It finally reports first results of a clinical trial in a between-group design in 10 patients suffering from social phobia. The virtual environments used in the treatment reproduce four situations that social phobics feel the most threatening: performance, intimacy, scrutiny and assertiveness. With the help of the therapist, the patient learns adapted cognitions and behaviors with the aim of reducing her or his anxiety in the corresponding real situations. The novelty of our work is to address a group of situations that the phobic patient is most likely to experience and to treat patients according to a precise protocol.

Virtual Reality Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Phobia: A Preliminary Controlled Study

“…35 Each session was individual and directed by a cognitive behavior therapist. During these weekly sessions of 45 min, the participant was exposed to virtual environments either for assessment or therapy.…”

Exploring the Effective Help for Social Anxiety: MMORPGs Delivering Online Help

“…People usually experience such anxiety when distance exists between communicators and/or when communicators use facial expressions and gestures (Miller & Stone, 2009). People with assertiveness anxiety usually desire to protect their interests and viewpoints because they want to be respected by others (Roy et al, 2003). Nonetheless, people who have assertiveness anxiety have a particular way of doing things thought to be passive and indirect (Deltsidou, 2009).…”

“…The classification of social anxiety has been referred to four facets: performance anxiety, intimacy anxiety, assertiveness anxiety, and observation anxiety (Holt, Heimberg, & Hope, 1992;Klinger et al, 2005;Roy et al, 2003).…”

Simulation and Virtual Learning Environments: Tools for Teaching Psychology in Higher Education

“…This environment may be real or imaginary, and it can be visually experienced in three dimensions (width, height, and depth). Roy, Klinger, Légeron, Lauer, Chemin, and Nugues (2003) goes further, he indicates that these environments provide an interactive visual experience in real time with sound and with the possibility to add other types of feedback, such as tactile sensations. Chiecher et al (2013) defines them as the artificial reproduction of the real world, in which students acquire psychomotor skills and knowledge, in a safe environment.…”