DOCSLIB.ORG

Mental Health Practitioners Perceptions' of Presence in A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mental Health Practitioners Perceptions' of Presence in A University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-18-2018 Mental Health Practitioners Perceptions’ of Presence in a Virtual Reality Therapy Environment for Use for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Panagiotis Markopoulos University of New Orleans, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Education Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Markopoulos, Panagiotis, "Mental Health Practitioners Perceptions’ of Presence in a Virtual Reality Therapy Environment for Use for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2018). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2472. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2472 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mental Health Practitioners Perceptions’ of Presence in a Virtual Reality Therapy Environment for Use for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education by Panagiotis Markopoulos B.A. & M.A. National and Capodistrian University, Athens/Greece, 2007 B.A. Western Kentucky University, United States, 2008 M.A. Eastern Kentucky University, United States, 2012 May 2018 © 2018, Panagiotis Markopoulos ii Dedication I dedicate my dissertation research work to my parents, as well as to the autism research. Special feelings of gratitude to my beloved parents Aggelo and Eleftheria Markopoulou for their unconditional love and support. Without your love and ongoing courage, I would not have been able to make it so far. You both taught me how to be a humble person, kind to others, never give up in life, and always be optimistic. I love you, mom and dad. I also dedicate this dissertation work to Dr. Roxane L. Dufrene for chairing my research study. Thank you for your ongoing hard work, mentorship love, believing in me and my research, as well as for taking the time to teach me how to become a researcher. I will always be grateful to you. Lastly, I dedicate this work to Dr. Bianca M. Puglia for her non-stop mentorship, love, wisdom, and for helping me to become the good clinician I am today. I will always be grateful to you. iii Acknowledgments Thank you to all my friends for your love, support and encouragement. I will be forever grateful. Thank you to my faculty committee members Drs. Ann M. O’Hanlon and Zarus E. Watson for your time, feedback and ongoing guidance. iv Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi Abstract ............................................................................................................................. xii Chapter I: Introduction .........................................................................................................1 Purpose of Study ..................................................................................................................3 Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................4 Cognitive Development Theory ......................................................................................6 Counseling application of CDT ..................................................................................8 Problem Statement ...............................................................................................................9 Overview Methods and Research Questions .....................................................................10 Overview Methods ........................................................................................................10 Research Questions .......................................................................................................11 Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................12 Assumptions of the Study ..................................................................................................13 Definition of Terms............................................................................................................13 Chapter II: Literature Review ............................................................................................19 The Birth of Autism: Then and Now .................................................................................19 DSM History of Autism ................................................................................................22 Societal Perceptions of ASD .........................................................................................24 Characteristics of ASD ......................................................................................................26 Age, Gender and Ethnicity Characteristics ...................................................................26 Medical and Clinical Characteristics ............................................................................27 Cognitive Development Theory as a Framework for ASD ...............................................30 CDT and ASD ...............................................................................................................35 Therapeutic Interventions Used with ASD ........................................................................37 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ......................................................................................37 Applied Behavioral Analysis ........................................................................................39 Program for Education and Enrichment of Relationship Skills Program .....................40 Early Start Denver Model .............................................................................................41 Sensory Integration Therapy .........................................................................................41 Picture Exchange Communication System ...................................................................42 Auditory Integration Therapy .......................................................................................42 Speech-Language Therapy ............................................................................................43 Verbal Behavior Therapy ..............................................................................................44 Developmental Individual-Differences Relationship-Based Model .............................44 Relationship Development Intervention Program .........................................................45 Social Communication/Emotional Regulation/Transactional Support Model ..............46 A New Treatment Era in Mental Health: Technology .......................................................47 Professional Ethics When Using Technology ...............................................................48 Mental Health Practitioners Use of Technology ...........................................................51 Types of Therapy Provided Using Technology ............................................................53 Distance therapy ........................................................................................................53 Telehealth ..................................................................................................................56 Virtual reality ............................................................................................................58 Research using VREs ...............................................................................................59 v Head-mounted displays ............................................................................................61 Virtual Reality and ASD ...............................................................................................63 Research using VREs with ASD ..............................................................................64 Summary ............................................................................................................................69 Chapter III: Research Design .............................................................................................70 Introduction ...................................................................................................................70 Pilot Study ..........................................................................................................................70 Purpose ..........................................................................................................................70
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Cross-Case Analysis of Possible Facial Emotion Extraction Methods That Could Be Used in Second Life Pre Experimental Work
    Volume 5, Number 3 Managerial and Commercial Applications December 2012 Managing Editor Yesha Sivan, Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College, Israel Guest Editors Shu Schiller, Wright State University, USA Brian Mennecke, Iowa State University, USA Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA Coordinating Editor Tzafnat Shpak The JVWR is an academic journal. As such, it is dedicated to the open exchange of information. For this reason, JVWR is freely available to individuals and institutions. Copies of this journal or articles in this journal may be distributed for research or educational purposes only free of charge and without permission. However, the JVWR does not grant permission for use of any content in advertisements or advertising supplements or in any manner that would imply an endorsement of any product or service. All uses beyond research or educational purposes require the written permission of the JVWR. Authors who publish in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research will release their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution No Derivative Works 3.0 United States (cc-by-nd) license. The Journal of Virtual Worlds Research is funded by its sponsors and contributions from readers. http://jvwresearch.org A Cross-Case Analysis: Possible Facial Emotion Extraction Methods 1 Volume 5, Number 3 Managerial and Commercial Applications December 2012 A Cross-Case Analysis of Possible Facial Emotion Extraction Methods that Could Be Used in Second Life Pre Experimental Work Shahnaz Kamberi Devry University at Crystal City Arlington, VA, USA Abstract This research-in-brief compares – based on documentation and web sites information -- findings of three different facial emotion extraction methods and puts forward possibilities of implementing the methods to Second Life.
    [Show full text]
  • Vysoke´Ucˇenítechnicke´V Brneˇ
    VYSOKE´ UCˇ ENI´ TECHNICKE´ V BRNEˇ BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY FAKULTA INFORMACˇ NI´CH TECHNOLOGII´ U´ STAV POCˇ ´ITACˇ OVE´ GRAFIKY A MULTIME´ DII´ FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA GAME FOR TEACHING VERY BASIC PROGRAMMING BAKALA´ Rˇ SKA´ PRA´ CE BACHELOR’S THESIS AUTOR PRA´ CE MARTIN RONCˇ KA AUTHOR BRNO 2015 VYSOKE´ UCˇ ENI´ TECHNICKE´ V BRNEˇ BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY FAKULTA INFORMACˇ NI´CH TECHNOLOGII´ U´ STAV POCˇ ´ITACˇ OVE´ GRAFIKY A MULTIME´ DII´ FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA HRA PRO VY´ UKU U´ PLNY´ CH ZA´ KLADU˚ PROGRAMOVA´ NI´ GAME FOR TEACHING VERY BASIC PROGRAMMING BAKALA´ Rˇ SKA´ PRA´ CE BACHELOR’S THESIS AUTOR PRA´ CE MARTIN RONCˇ KA AUTHOR VEDOUCI´ PRA´ CE doc. Ing. ADAM HEROUT, Ph.D. SUPERVISOR BRNO 2015 Abstrakt Hlavním cílem této práce je vytvoøení hry pro výuku úplných základù programování. První èást této práce se zabývá studiem a analýzou souèasných her pro výuku programovaní a soudobých principù užívaných ve výukových hrách. Na toto navazuje návrh a implemen- tace rozhraní pro vizuální programování v Unity3d a následná integrace tohoto rozhraní do jednoduché hry, která bude splňovat principy sepsané v první èásti této práce. Výsledek práce je poté vyhodnocen jak z hlediska technického tak uživatelského, s cílem zjistit efek- tivitu rozhraní pro vizuální programování a hry samotné jako nástroje pro pøedstavení programování. Abstract The main goal of this thesis is to create a game for teaching very basic programming. An analysis of current programming education games and education principles takes up the first part of this thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • What Do We Know About the Use of Virtual Reality in the Rehabilitation Field? a Brief Overview
    electronics Review What Do We Know about The Use of Virtual Reality in the Rehabilitation Field? A Brief Overview Antonino Naro 1 and Rocco Salvatore Calabrò 2,* 1 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; [email protected] 2 IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, 98124 Messina, Italy * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +39-090-60128954 Abstract: Over the past two decades, virtual reality technology (VRT)-based rehabilitation has been increasingly examined and applied to assist patient recovery in the physical and cognitive domains. The advantages of the use of VRT in the neurorehabilitation field consist of the possibility of training an impaired function as a way to stimulate neuron reorganization (to maximize motor learning and neuroplasticity) and restoring and regaining functions and abilities by interacting with a safe and nonthreatening yet realistic virtual reality environment (VRE). Furthermore, VREs can be tailored to patient needs and provide personalized feedback on performance. VREs may also support cognitive training and increases patient motivation and enjoyment. Despite these potential advantages, there are inconclusive data about the usefulness of VRT in neurorehabilitation settings, and some issues on feasibility and safety remain to be ascertained for some neurological populations. The present brief overview aims to summarize the available literature on VRT applications in neurorehabilitation settings, along with discussing the pros and cons of VR and introducing the practical issues for research. The available studies on VRT for rehabilitation purposes over the past two decades have been mostly preliminary and feature small sample sizes. Furthermore, the studies dealing with Citation: Naro, A.; Calabrò, R.S.
    [Show full text]
  • 2. Virtual Worlds and Education 8
    World of Physics World-of-Physics - 2016-1-CY01-KA201-017371 Project funded by: Erasmus+ / Key Action 2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, Strategic Partnerships for school education Erasmus+ (European Commission, EACEA) Deliverable Number Report III Deliverable Title State of the Art in Virtual Reality and 3D Worlds Intellectual Output I: Reports on Physics Education in Intellectual Output Title Schools around Europe and the state of the art in 3D Virtual Worlds Research on the State of the Art in Virtual Reality and Activity description 3D Worlds Authors (per company, if more than one company UCY, CTE provide it together) Status (D: draft; RD: revised draft; F: final) F Date (versioning) 30/12/2016 World of Physics World-of-Physics - 2016-1-CY01-KA201-017371 Partners University of Cyprus, Cyprus https://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/seit/ University of Patras, Greece http://www.upatras.gr/en CTE, Romania http://www.etcenter.eu/index.php/en/ Computer Technology Institute and Press "Diophantus", Greece http://www.cti.gr/en ITD-CNR, Italy https://www.cnr.it/en NEW EDU, Slovakia http://www.newedu.sk/ 2 World of Physics World-of-Physics - 2016-1-CY01-KA201-017371 Executive Summary A research on the State of the Art in 3D Virtual Reality Worlds and frameworks is deemed very important for the work to be conducted in the scope of the World-of- Physics project. The aim of the report is to serve as an introduction to the 3D Virtual Worlds, tools and frameworks available, identify the strengths and weaknesses of each one of them and select the most appropriate one to be used within the World-of- Physics project.
    [Show full text]
  • Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Adults with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: a Review of the Clinical Effectiveness
    TITLE: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Adults with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness DATE: 28 August 2014 CONTEXT AND POLICY ISSUES Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric condition that develops following an exceptionally traumatic event.1 Core symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing the trauma (for example, through flashbacks and nightmares), avoidance of reminders of trauma, and hyperarousal (for example, feeling irritable or angry, startling easily, or experiencing difficulty sleeping or concentrating).1 Lifetime prevalence rates of PTSD have been estimated as 9.2% in Canada2 and ranging from 6.8% to 12.3% in the United States.3 Certain groups of people, such as those exposed to military combat, are at a higher risk of developing PTSD;3 lifetime prevalence of PTSD in Vietnam war veterans has been reported at 18.7%,4 and up to 18% of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans have experienced PTSD.5 Treatments for PTSD include pharmacotherapy and psychological therapy.6 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most common choice for PTSD pharmacotherapy.7 Of the psychological therapies, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is considered to be a first-line therapy for PTSD based on strong evidence of effectiveness from clinical trials.6,8 CBT may involve multiple therapy approaches, including elements of cognitive therapy, development of coping skills, and exposure therapy.6 Exposure therapy in particular refers to a method by which patients repeatedly confront memories or
    [Show full text]
  • Number 1, 2010 Virtual Reality Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress
    CYBERPSYCHOLOGY,BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING Volume 13, Number 1, 2010 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089=cyber.2009.0394 Virtual Reality Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Due to Motor Vehicle Accident Brenda K Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA1 and Mark D Wiederhold, M.D., Ph.D., FACP2 Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex, multifaceted disorder encompassing behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and physiological factors. Although PTSD was only codified in 1980, there has been an increasing interest in this area of research. Unfortunately, relatively little attention has been given to the psychological treatment of motor vehicle accident survivors, which is remarkable because vehicular collisions are deemed the number one cause of PTSD. As the emotional consequences of vehicular collisions prevail, so does the need for more effective treatments. Randomized controlled clinical trials have identified exposure-based therapies as being the most efficacious for extinguishing fears. One type of exposure-based treatment, called virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), provides a safe, controlled, and effective therapeutic alternative that is not dependent on real-life props, situations, or even a person’s imagination capabilities. This modality, while relatively new, has been implemented successfully in the treatment of a variety of anxiety disorders and may offer a particularly beneficial and intermediary step for the treatment of collision-related PTSD. In particular, VRET combined with physiological monitoring and feedback provides a unique opportunity for individuals to objectively recognize both anxiety and relaxation; learn how to manage their anxiety during difficult, albeit simulated, driving conditions; and then transfer these skills onto real-life roadways.
    [Show full text]
  • Non-Immersive Virtual Reality for Post-Stroke Upper Extremity Rehabilitation: a Small Cohort Randomized Trial
    brain sciences Article Non-Immersive Virtual Reality for Post-Stroke Upper Extremity Rehabilitation: A Small Cohort Randomized Trial Roxana Miclaus 1 , Nadinne Roman 1,* , Silviu Caloian 1, Brindusa Mitoiu 2, Oana Suciu 3 , Roxana Ramona Onofrei 3 , Ecaterina Pavel 4 and Andrea Neculau 1 1 Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania; [email protected] (R.M.); [email protected] (S.C.); [email protected] (A.N.) 2 Rehabilitation Department, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 0050474 Bucuresti, Romania; [email protected] 3 Department of Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Rheumatology, “Victor Babes, ” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; [email protected] (O.S.); [email protected] (R.R.O.) 4 Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500030 Brasov, Romania; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 26 August 2020; Accepted: 18 September 2020; Published: 21 September 2020 Abstract: Immersive and non-immersive virtual reality (NIVR) technology can supplement and improve standard physiotherapy and neurorehabilitation in post-stroke patients. We aimed to use MIRA software to investigate the efficiency of specific NIVR therapy as a standalone intervention, versus standardized physiotherapy for upper extremity rehabilitation in patients post-stroke. Fifty-five inpatients were randomized to control groups (applying standard physiotherapy and dexterity exercises) and experimental groups (applying NIVR and dexterity exercises). The two groups were subdivided into subacute (<six months post-stroke) and chronic (>six months to four years post-stroke survival patients). The following standardized tests were applied at baseline and after two weeks post-therapy: Fugl–Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMUE), the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Active Range of Motion (AROM), Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and Functional Reach Test (FRT).
    [Show full text]
  • Second Life Creator Linden Lab Laying Off Staff 9 June 2010
    Second Life creator Linden Lab laying off staff 9 June 2010 Lab launched the virtual world in 2003 as a place for people to play, socialize and do business but its popularity has faded in recent years. (c) 2010 AFP A Second Life avatar interacts with an orang-utan on WWF's Conservation Island. Linden Lab, creator of the online virtual world Second Life, said Wednesday it was laying off 30 percent of its staff. Linden Lab, creator of the online virtual world Second Life, said Wednesday it was laying off 30 percent of its staff. Linden Lab did not reveal how many people it was letting go as part of what it called a "strategic restructuring," but the San Francisco-based company reportedly has more than 300 employees. Linden Lab said it would combine its product and engineering divisions and consolidate its software development teams in North America. Mark Kingdon, Linden Lab's chief executive, said the company plans to create an Internet browser- based virtual world experience, eliminating the need to download software, and extend Second Life into social networks. "Ultimately, we want to make Second Life more accessible and relevant to a wider population," he said in a statement. Second Life was an online sensation after Linden 1 / 2 APA citation: Second Life creator Linden Lab laying off staff (2010, June 9) retrieved 25 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2010-06-life-creator-linden-lab-staff.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission.
    [Show full text]
  • Metaverse Roadmap Overview, 2007. 2007
    A Cross-Industry Public Foresight Project Co-Authors Contributing Authors John Smart, Acceleration Studies Foundation Corey Bridges, Multiverse Jamais Cascio, Open the Future Jochen Hummel, Metaversum Jerry Paffendorf, The Electric Sheep Company James Hursthouse, OGSi Randal Moss, American Cancer Society Lead Reviewers Edward Castronova, Indiana University Richard Marks, Sony Computer Entertainment Alexander Macris, Themis Group Rueben Steiger, Millions of Us LEAD SPONSOR FOUNDING PARTNERS Futuring and Innovation Center Graphic Design: FizBit.com accelerating.org metaverseroadmap.org MVR Summit Attendees Distinguished industry leaders, technologists, analysts, and creatives who provided their insights in various 3D web domains. Bridget C. Agabra Project Manager, Metaverse Roadmap Project Patrick Lincoln Director, Computer Science Department, SRI Janna Anderson Dir. of Pew Internet’s Imagining the Internet; Asst. International Prof. of Communications, Elon University Julian Lombardi Architect, Open Croquet; Assistant VP for Tod Antilla Flash Developer, American Cancer Society Academic Services and Technology Support, Office of Information Technology Wagner James Au Blogger, New World Notes; Author, The Making of Second Life, 2008 Richard Marks Creator of the EyeToy camera interface; Director of Special Projects, Sony CEA R&D Jeremy Bailenson Director, Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Stanford University Bob Moore Sociologist, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), PlayOn project Betsy Book Director of Product Management, Makena Technologies/There;
    [Show full text]
  • Mymwiki Documentation Release 0.0.1
    MyMWiki Documentation Release 0.0.1 MyM Community Sep 25, 2021 Contents 1 MineYourMind 3 2 F.A.Q. 7 3 KnowledgeBase 13 4 Performance Guide 41 5 Modpacks/Servers 55 6 Server IP’s 167 7 Automatic Farmworld Resets 175 8 Launcher 179 9 Credits 185 10 Indices and tables 187 i ii MyMWiki Documentation, Release 0.0.1 Contents: Contents 1 MyMWiki Documentation, Release 0.0.1 2 Contents CHAPTER 1 MineYourMind 1.1 Introduction MineYourMind is a modded Minecraft server network founded in early 2012. Hosting all major and up to date modpacks which are suitable for a big multiplayer experience. Over the years a lot of experience and custom solutions (mods, plugins) have been developed. The servers are monitored and hosted on multiple state of the art dedicated servers optimized for Minecraft. With dedication over years we have built the probably biggest heavily modded Minecraft server network, based on a friendly and helpful community including many long-time players. 1.2 What we stand for • Good Stability, Uptime and Performance • Working (Grief) Protection • Friendly Community and Staff-Team • Natural Modpack Experience • Major and latest Modpacks • Around for Years 1.3 Performance and Stability We know how much people rely on our servers. This is why staff do their best maintaining the network to keep downtime and lag to a minimum. As our main focus is a lag-free and reliable gaming experience we build many fixes and monitoring tools such as AE2 profiler which does announce the worst performing systems on the server. 3 MyMWiki Documentation, Release 0.0.1 We also monitor all servers live and get barked at by our Watchdog when something goes terribly wrong.
    [Show full text]
  • Virtual Reality Treatment Manual
    VIRTUAL REALITY TREATMENT MANUAL In Virtuo Physiologically-Facilitated Graded Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Recently Developed Combat-related PTSD (Training Skill-Based Resiliency) James L. Spira, Ph.D., MPH, Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA, Jeffrey Pyne, M.D., and Mark D. Wiederhold, M.D., Ph.D., FACP The Virtual Reality Medical Center 6155 Cornerstone Court East, Suite 210 San Diego, CA 92121 Phone 858-642-0267 Fax 858-642-0285 Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008 by The Virtual Reality Medical Center. All rights reserved. Published by The Virtual Reality Medical Center, 6155 Cornerstone Court East, Suite 210, San Diego, California 92121, fax 858-642-0285. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without prior written permission of the publisher. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department at the above address. Limit of Liability/Disclosure of Warranty: While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this manual, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the manual and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The information contained herein may not be suitable for your particular situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating Virtual Environments for Phobia Treatment
    Open Comput. Sci. 2016; 6:138–147 Review Article Open Access Dana Horváthová* and Vladimír Siládi Creating virtual environments for phobia treatment DOI 10.1515/comp-2016-0012 ysis of following resources as considerable success has Received Apr 30, 2016; accepted Jul 30, 2016 been achieved by using VR for distraction from pain or for panic disorder and agoraphobia [1]. In recent years, Abstract: In this paper, we try to present the problems of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) has become an the modern approach to treating various phobias. Virtual interesting alternative for the treatment of anxiety disor- environments created by virtual reality (VR) tools can help ders and several phobias [2–5]. Also Virtual Reality Cogni- to make the treatment of certain types of phobias more ef- tive Behavior Therapy (VRCBT) is an effective technology ficient. Attention to this form of phobia treatment with the with promising results [6, 7]. Treating simple phobias with help of VR is on the rise in the world, so we are also moni- VR techniques, clinical outcomes, cost effectiveness and toring its development, as well. Our paper introduces the possible side effects of this treatment are described in[8]. necessary hardware and software that has been piloted in VR therapy enables the patient to experience a realistic our department, but also methods of creating virtual en- yet carefully controlled exposure to an anxiety-provoking vironments, models and application designed for medical scenario in the therapist’s own office. While VR environ- therapies of patients. In our work we have searched for and ments were initially quite costly and demanded powerful tested the following methods for creating virtual environ- computers, lately their price has decreased, making this ments: A) modelling using computer graphics, B) mode- form of treatment an intriguing option for therapists [9].
    [Show full text]