Virtual Reality therapy may reduce fear of heights

The virtual coach also encouraged participants to try real heights between sessions.

By: Agencies | | Published: July 12, 2018 3:04 pm

If you are acrophobic or are scared of heights, then taking automated virtual reality (VR) based psychological therapy may help reduce the phobia, say researchers. According to the study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, the participants took part in activities during the VR session that challenged their fears and helped them learn that they were safer than they thought.

Throughout various activities, starting with simpler tasks, such as watching a safety barrier drop gradually, leading to harder tasks like walking on a platform over a large drop, the virtual coach offered encouragement, and afterwards explained what the participants had learned from their activities and asked whether they felt safer than before. At the end of the treatment and at follow-up, participants from the VR group reported that their fears have reduced as opposed to the control group who rated their fear of heights as remaining similar.

Source: IANS
Image Source: Shutterstock

Published : July 12, 2018 3:04 pm

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