Following the success of the seminar ‘Applications of Virtual Reality in Clinical Psychology’ held on May 15, we interviewed Iván Alsina, a psychologist and ISEP alumnus, a specialist in the use of New Information and Communication Technologies, to bring us closer to these new applications of Virtual Reality within the field of psychology.
Is Virtual Reality a diagnostic or treatment tool?
Virtual Reality represents, today, a powerful tool at the service of the mental health professional. The key to understanding why we use it in the context of clinical psychology is that the virtual experience is capable of inducing emotions and reactions in the patient very similar to those that would occur in the real world. Thus, for example, a phobic patient will feel the same level of anxiety and fear when facing virtual and real danger. This positions Virtual Reality as an ideal tool for both psychological diagnosis and treatment. However, in psychology, it is also used in other contexts such as educational, social, or experimental.
Among the innovative applications of Virtual Reality in psychological evaluation and treatments, for treating which disorder has it shown the best results?
The area for which we have the most empirical evidence is in the treatment of anxiety disorders such as specific phobias, social phobia, agoraphobia, or post-traumatic stress disorder. In these cases, Virtual Reality has proven to be a more effective technique than exposure in imagination and just as effective as in-vivo exposure. We are also starting to see very positive results for the treatment of disorders as diverse as eating disorders, addictions, or even sexual dysfunctions.
Can all patient profiles be treated with Virtual Reality? Do you think new generations are more receptive to this type of therapy and its use helps reduce therapy dropout?
In principle, any type of patient can benefit from specialized Virtual Reality treatment, although it has been found that introverted people and those with higher spatial intelligence might respond better.
Regarding the second question, it is likely that new generations, much more accustomed to using new technologies in their daily lives, are more receptive to starting this type of treatment as they find it more appealing. In fact, several studies show that university students with different phobias prefer to be treated with Virtual Reality rather than with a much more traditional technique such as in-vivo exposure. On the other hand, it is also true that patients over 50-60 years old have been effectively treated with Virtual Reality. Regarding dropout rates, we still lack conclusive data, but in general, it tends to be similar to that found with traditional techniques.
What benefits does using virtual reality in the treatment of a specific disorder offer compared to traditional treatments?
Let’s imagine a case of fear of flying. In this disorder, for economic and/or logistical reasons, it is very difficult to perform in-vivo exposure. With Virtual Reality, we can carry out an equally effective treatment without leaving the therapist’s office and, furthermore, with the possibility of repeating the exposure as many times as necessary. This way, if the patient has a high level of anxiety only at the moment of landing, we can repeat this situation as many times as necessary. Virtual Reality allows us to have complete control over all parameters of the exposure situation; for example, we can make the flight longer, introduce turbulence, etc. In this regard, it is important to remember that nothing the patient fears can actually happen; virtual reality therefore offers a completely safe context. Also, the fact that therapy is carried out in the therapist’s office allows for patient confidentiality, as there is no need to accompany them to the problematic situation. Finally, Virtual Reality may be especially indicated for patients with such high levels of anxiety that they refuse to perform in-vivo exposure.
Regarding the imagination exposure technique, Virtual Reality offers a much more real experience as we can stimulate the patient’s different senses. The therapist can also observe the situations the patient faces at all times, which allows us to prevent the cognitive avoidance typical of phobic patients.
Virtual reality program to detect exam anxiety
Currently, what role do you think new technologies play in the field of clinical psychology?
In recent years, there has been great progress in the development of new technologies, drastically modifying all areas of our daily lives. In clinical psychology, technologies such as chat, videoconferencing, third-generation mobile phones, laptops, etc., are becoming increasingly relevant for usual clinical practice, facilitating diagnosis or treatment processes. Virtual Reality is no exception, and in fact, there are already the first private centers offering specialized treatment using this technology. Furthermore, several companies are already selling their own virtual environments aimed at the mental health field. All this situation is leading to the emergence of a field known as Cybertherapy. As with other disciplines, new technologies are sure to profoundly influence the daily life of the clinical psychologist. It is therefore necessary for clinical psychologists to start learning about the possibilities these tools offer.
Do you think these types of therapies that use technology as a fundamental tool will gain more prominence and eventually replace more traditional diagnostic techniques such as tests or interviews?
Undoubtedly, this is the trend that awaits us, especially considering that today any psychotherapist can have their own low-cost Virtual Reality equipment. As costs decrease, new technologies will become increasingly relevant in our profession, and in fact, this is already happening. However, it is still difficult to predict whether new technologies will completely displace more traditional techniques. In my opinion, they should not eliminate what we already have, but rather complement each other. I believe that new technologies, such as virtual reality, are just more tools within the wide range of resources available to the psychotherapist. Therefore, the choice of whether to use new technologies or more traditional techniques will depend on each specific case.