scholarly journals Effects of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy on Dentophobia in Clients of Dental Offices in Isfahan, Tehran, and Shahrekord (Iran)

2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Majidi ◽  
Gholamreza Manshaee
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy ◽  
Dental Offices ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure ◽  
Experimental Group

Background: Dentophobia can reduce the number of regular visits to dentists and endanger the oral health of people. New technologies such as virtual reality (VR) can be used in the treatment of psychological problems such as dentophobia. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) on dentophobia in clients of dental offices in the cities of Isfahan, Tehran, and Shahrekord in 2020. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all clients with dentophobia visiting private dental clinics of Isfahan, Tehran, and Shahrekord in 2020. Thirty clients with dentophobia who were willing to participate in the research were selected as the sample using convenience sampling and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n = 15 per group). The experimental group underwent eight sessions (15-minutes sessions per week) of virtual reality exposure therapy, while the control group received no intervention. The follow-up was performed after 45 days. The research instruments included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), Samsung Gear 360 (2017 Edition), and HTC VIVE Pro Virtual Reality Headset. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: The results showed that virtual reality exposure therapy effectively decreased dentophobia in clients of dental offices in the experimental group (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: According to research findings, virtual reality exposure therapy was an efficient therapy for improving dentophobia and reducing phobia symptoms in clients of dental offices.

Feasibility trial of virtual reality exposure therapy for selective mutism

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452110569
Author(s):  
Yi Ren Tan ◽  
Yoon Phaik Ooi ◽  
Rebecca P Ang ◽  
Dion H Goh ◽  
Clare Kwan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Evidence Based Care ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has been commonly utilised as an extension of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, most studies examined its effectiveness among adults, with no study focusing on children with selective mutism (SM). We aimed to examine its feasibility and acceptability among children with SM. Twenty children aged 6–12 with SM diagnosis were recruited and completed six therapist-guided VRET sessions. Parents and clinicians completed measures at pre-VRET, post-VRET, 1-month and 3-month follow-up visits. At post-VRET, parent and child participants completed the acceptability questionnaires. Findings suggested the feasibility of VRET as all participants completed the programme with no attrition. Parents and child participants also reported VRET to be an acceptable and effective treatment for SM. Significant improvement in overall functioning were found at post-treatment and follow-up measures, but there were no significant changes in parent-rated speech frequency and anxiety measures. These support the acceptability of VRET as an adjunct modality (and not substitute) of CBT in SM treatment. Future studies, with more robust experimental designs and larger sample sizes, can be conducted to confirm its efficacy. As technology becomes more sophisticated, tools such as virtual environments can be explored to enhance evidence-based care for children and their families.

The Effectiveness of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on Emotional Divorce of Couples: A Randomized Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Heidari ◽  
Mohammad Ghamari ◽  
Alireza Jafari ◽  
Alireza Armani Kian
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Couple Therapy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Experimental Group

Background: Some scientists consider emotional divorce as the first step in the divorce process, which means that the marital relationship is declining. Research shows the harmful physical and psychological effects of emotional divorce on couples. The present research was carried out to show the effectiveness of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on emotional divorce among couples. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental design study with a control group, including a pre-test, post-test and a 45-day follow up. The statistical population of this study was all couples referred to the family therapy clinic of Shahid Beheshti Psychiatric Hospital in Zanjan in 2020. Twenty couples were selected based on a score of eight or higher in a 24-item two-choice questionnaire on emotional divorce which was developed by Guttman in 1998. Next, participants were randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control. The experimental group received 11 weekly sessions of IBCT and each intervention session lasted for 120 minutes and the control group did not receive any intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA was used and data were analyzed by SPSS software V18. Results: The results of ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between  the control and experimental groups in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up (p<0.001). Therefore, it can be concluded that IBCT has reduced the emotional divorce of couples in the experimental group. Conclusion: Results suggest that IBCT can be used as a treatment of choice for reduction of emotional divorce.

scholarly journals Effects of Schema Therapy on Anxiety, Cognitive Avoidance, and Resilience in Couples With Conflicts

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
Shabnam Mohammadian ◽  
◽  
Parviz Asgari ◽  
Behnam Makvandi ◽  
Farah Naderi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Schema Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Avoidance ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Experimental Group

Background: Resilience, as a variable affecting couples’ relationships and resolving conflicts between them, plays an essential role in family psychology and family therapy. Materials & Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, a control group, and a 45-day follow-up design. The statistical population included all couples with low marital adjustment who were referred to the psychological counseling centers of Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2020. Thirty participants were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into the experimental and control groups (n=15 couples/group). The necessary data were collected using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The schema therapy program was performed for the experimental group in eight 90-minute weekly sessions; however, the control group received no intervention. The follow-up phase was performed after 45 days. Repeated-Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used in SPSS to analyze the obtained data. Results: Schema therapy effectively decreased anxiety and cognitive avoidance and increased resilience among couples in the experimental group (P<0.001). The Mean±SD post-test score of resilience was measured as 50.87±4.64 in the experimental group, which increased, compared to the post-test scores (43.33±5.71) in the control group. Conclusion: Schema therapy decreased anxiety, cognitive avoidance, and significantly increased resilience in the examined couples. Schema therapy can be used to improve resilience in couples presenting marital conflicts.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Driving Phobia Disorder (2): System Refinement and Verification

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 347
Author(s):  
Amy Trappey ◽  
Charles V. Trappey ◽  
Chia-Ming Chang ◽  
Meng-Chao Tsai ◽  
Routine R. T. Kuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Subjective Distress ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy ◽  
Experimental Process ◽  
Systemic Problems ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure ◽  
And Control

Driving phobia is a widespread anxiety disorder in modern society. Driving phobia disorders often cause difficulties in people’s professional and social activities. A growing trend for treating driving phobia is to apply virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). We refined the system’s performance based on the previous research publication and have conducted a VRET pre-test research study with treatment and control group subjects to demonstrate the effectiveness of VRET. Some systemic problems were discovered in the first published experiment. For example, the experimental process and the virtual reality (VR) driving scenarios had to be modified to reflect realistic scenarios causing the fear of driving. These issues were identified and improvements made and verified in this research. A total of 130 subjects completed the driving behavior survey. Thirty subjects were randomly drawn from the subjects with high driving fear questionnaire scores and were invited to participate in the treatment experiments. The latest research presents the refined VRET for driving phobia disorders, including the revised system framework, the main modules and integration, and the subjects’ biodata collection, management, and analysis. The experiment results provide strong evidence that the refined VRET design helps subjects overcome driving phobias. The subjects’ subjective distress and fear of driving are reduced significantly through the implementation of VRET.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for the Treatment of Dental Phobia: A Controlled Feasibility Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumar Raghav Gujjar ◽  
Arjen van Wijk ◽  
Ratika Sharma ◽  
Ad de Jongh
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Dental Anxiety ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy ◽  
Dental Phobia ◽  
Symptom Exacerbation ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure

Background: Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has been used to treat a variety of fears and phobias. Aim: To determine the feasibility (i.e. safety and efficacy) of using VRET to treat dental phobia. Method: Safety was evaluated by determining any adverse events or symptom exacerbation. Efficacy of VRET was evaluated by comparing the reduction in dental anxiety scores (measured 16 times within a 14-week study period, and at 6-month follow-up), and its behavioural effects with that of an informational pamphlet (IP) on ten randomized patients with dental phobia using a controlled multiple baseline design. Participants’ heart rate response during VRET, and their experience post-VRET, were indexed. Results: No personal adverse events or symptom exacerbation occurred. Visual analysis and post-hoc intention-to-treat analysis showed a significantly greater decrease in dental anxiety scores [higher PND (percentage of non-overlap data) scores of 100% and lower POD (percentage of overlap data) of 0%, Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, F (1,8) = 8.61, p = 0.019, and Dental Fear Scale, F (1,8) = 10.53, p = 0.012], and behavioural avoidance in the VRET compared with the IP group [d = 4.2 and –1.4, respectively). There was no increase in average heart rate during VRET. Of the nine treatment completers, six (four from the VRET group and two from the IP group) no longer had dental phobia at 6-month follow-up. Four of the five VRET participants, but none of the IP participants, scheduled a dental treatment appointment following the intervention. Conclusion: VRET is a feasible alternative for patients with dental phobia.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Self-help Treatment for Aviophobia: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/22008 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e22008
Author(s):  
Jamie Rhiannon Fehribach ◽  
Marieke Bianca Jolien Toffolo ◽  
Ilja Cornelisz ◽  
Chris van Klaveren ◽  
Annemieke van Straten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Treatment Effect ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Fear Of Flying ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure

Background Aviophobia (the fear of flying) can greatly impact the daily life functioning of people with the condition. Traditional exposure-based treatment is hampered by the limited availability of airplane practice situations, which is a result of economical and practical concerns. Easily accessible and low-cost virtual reality exposure therapy may address these challenges. Objective The purpose of our study is to investigate the effectiveness of ZeroPhobia: Aviophobia (a self-help mobile app–based treatment) in reducing flight anxiety symptoms and depressive and anxiety symptoms. We will also investigate the effects of usage intensity, the sense of immersion, inherent absorption ability, and perceived user-friendliness on the treatment effect. Methods Participants (N=114) who are aged 18-64 years and experience at least mild symptoms of aviophobia will be recruited from the general Dutch population and randomized into a treatment group or waitlist control group. By using their own phones and rudimentary mobile virtual reality headsets, participants will receive six modules of psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy, which will include six levels of virtual reality exposure therapy over a period of 6 weeks. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, posttest (ie, after 6 weeks), and 3- and 12-month follow-ups. The primary outcome measure of our study is the Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire. The secondary outcome measures include anxiety and depression measures and additional covariates (including usage intensity, the degree of immersion, etc). We will test treatment effectiveness by conducting an intention-to-treat analysis and estimating average treatment effects on the treated. The mechanisms of treatment effect will also be explored. Results The study was funded on September 25, 2018. Ethical approval was received on October 11, 2019. Recruitment closed on May 7, 2020. Conclusions Our study will further the scientific understanding and clinical implications of technology’s current ability to aid in providing effective, accessible treatment for the fear of flying. Trial Registration Netherlands Trial Registry NL70238.029.19; https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8257. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/22008

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