EFFICACY OF VIRTUAL REALITY EXPOSURE THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN ADULTS

Abstract

The emergence of new technologies like enhanced immersion and realism providing realistic stimulations, biometric sensor integration having physiological monitoring like heart rate monitors and conductance sensors which allow the observation and monitoring of patients behaviour and their responses and combining the reality with VR technology have altogether made the Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy more effective for the treatment of phobias and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [1]. The efficacy of VRET in treatment of PTSDcan be observed through various studies conducted on war veterans, general population and people suffering from stressful traumatic memories of the past.Astudy was conducted to assess the treatment ofPTSD through VRET in the survivors of 9/11 attacks revealed significant reductions in symptoms with large effect size (d=1.50).