The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.

Review

Virtual reality exposure therapy in anxiety disorders: a systematic review of process‐and‐outcome studies*

Katharina Meyerbröker M.Sc.

Corresponding Author

E-mail address:K.Meyerbroker@uva.nl

Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Katharina Meyerbröker, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 15, 1018 WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Search for more papers by this author
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp Ph.D.

Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 23 August 2010
Cited by: 84
*

The authors report they have no financial relationships within the past 3 year to disclose.

Abstract

In recent years, virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has become an interesting alternative for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Research has focused on the efficacy of VRET in treating anxiety disorders: phobias, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. In this systematic review, strict methodological criteria are used to give an overview of the controlled trials regarding the efficacy of VRET in patients with anxiety disorders. Furthermore, research into process variables such as the therapeutic alliance and cognitions and enhancement of therapy effects through cognitive enhancers is discussed. The implications for implementation into clinical practice are considered. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Number of times cited: 84

  • , Anxiety Partially Mediates Cybersickness Symptoms in Immersive Virtual Reality Environments, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, (2018).
  • , Use of virtual reality technologies as an Action-Cue Exposure Therapy for truck drivers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Entertainment Computing, 24, (1), (2018).
  • , Applications of virtual reality in individuals with alcohol misuse: A systematic review, Addictive Behaviors, 81, (1), (2018).
  • , Mobile Virtual Reality to Enhance Subjective Well-Being, Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition, 10.4018/978-1-5225-2255-3.ch541, (6223-6233), (2018).
  • , The future of interpersonal skills development: Immersive virtual reality training with virtual humans, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 29, 2, (125-141), (2018).
  • , Innovations in Research and Development of Scientific Procedures to Reach the Success and the Excellence by Means of Psychology Applied to the High Performance, Key Issues for Management of Innovative Projects, 10.5772/intechopen.68490, (2017).
  • , DJINNI: A Novel Technology Supported Exposure Therapy Paradigm for SAD Combining Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8, (2017).
  • , Skin Conductance Reactivity to Standardized Virtual Reality Combat Scenes in Veterans with PTSD, Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 10.1007/s10484-017-9366-0, 42, 3, (209-221), (2017).
  • , A systematic review of the application of interactive virtual reality to sport, Virtual Reality, (2017).
  • , Virtual Reality and Other Realities, The Science of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 10.1016/B978-0-12-803457-6.00022-2, (551-590), (2017).
  • , Virtual Reality-Enhanced Extinction of Phobias and Post-Traumatic Stress, Neurotherapeutics, 10.1007/s13311-017-0534-y, 14, 3, (554-563), (2017).
  • , Potential of virtual reality as a diagnostic tool for social anxiety: A pilot study, Computers in Human Behavior, 76, (128), (2017).
  • , A Novel Integrating Virtual Reality Approach for the Assessment of the Attachment Behavioral System, Frontiers in Psychology, 8, (2017).
  • , Qu’apportent les outils de réalité virtuelle en psychiatrie de l’enfant et l’adolescent ?, L'Encéphale, (2017).
  • , Context conditioning in humans using commercially available immersive Virtual Reality, Scientific Reports, 10.1038/s41598-017-08184-7, 7, 1, (2017).
  • , Mortality salience in virtual reality experiences and its effects on users’ attitudes towards risk, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 101, (10), (2017).
  • , A Driving Simulator Designed for the Care of Trucker Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Serious Games and Edutainment Applications, 10.1007/978-3-319-51645-5_19, (411-431), (2017).
  • , Virtual reality in the assessment, understanding, and treatment of mental health disorders, Psychological Medicine, 47, 14, (2393), (2017).
  • , The Use of Virtual Reality Technology in the Treatment of Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Disorders, Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 25, 3, (103), (2017).
  • , A Therapy System for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Using a Virtual Agent and Virtual Storytelling to Reconstruct Traumatic Memories, Journal of Medical Systems, 41, 8, (2017).
  • , Virtual Reality Objectifies the Diagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders: A Literature Review, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8, (2017).
  • , Computational Psychometrics for Modeling System Dynamics during Stressful Disasters, Frontiers in Psychology, 8, (2017).
  • , Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review, Current Psychiatry Reports, 19, 7, (2017).
  • , Influence of Music on Anxiety Induced by Fear of Heights in Virtual Reality, Frontiers in Psychology, 6, (2016).
  • 2016 IEEE International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH) Orlando, FL, USA 2016 IEEE International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH) IEEE , (2016). 978-1-5090-2210-6 A fully customizable truck-driving simulator for the care of people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , (2016). 1 8 7586271 , 10.1109/SeGAH.2016.7586271 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7586271/
  • , Exposure to virtual social interactions in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 77, (147), (2016).
  • , Investigation of Multimodal Mobile Applications for Improving Mental Health, Foundations of Augmented Cognition: Neuroergonomics and Operational Neuroscience, 10.1007/978-3-319-39952-2_32, (333-343), (2016).
  • , Does a Combination of Virtual Reality, Neuromodulation and Neuroimaging Provide a Comprehensive Platform for Neurorehabilitation? – A Narrative Review of the Literature, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10, (2016).
  • , Fear and physiological arousal during a virtual height challenge—effects in patients with acrophobia and healthy controls, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 37, (30), (2016).
  • , Gamification of a Truck-Driving Simulator for the Care of People Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Games and Learning Alliance, 10.1007/978-3-319-40216-1_33, (312-322), (2016).
  • , Transforming Experience: The Potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Enhancing Personal and Clinical Change, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 7, (2016).
  • , ICBT for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: From the Computer at Home to Real-Life ‘In Vivo’ Exposure, Guided Internet-Based Treatments in Psychiatry, 10.1007/978-3-319-06083-5_3, (33-52), (2016).
  • , Peut-on augmenter l’efficacité de la thérapie cognitive et comportementale pour le trouble obsessionnel compulsif par un adjuvant informatique innovant ?, L'Encéphale, 42, 5, (402), (2016).
  • , Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders, Encyclopedia of Mental Health, 10.1016/B978-0-12-397045-9.00266-4, (186-191), (2016).
  • , An Internet-based treatment for flying phobia (NO-FEAR Airlines): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial, BMC Psychiatry, 10.1186/s12888-016-0996-1, 16, 1, (2016).
  • , Developing a Novel Measure of Body Satisfaction Using Virtual Reality, PLOS ONE, 10, 10, (e0140158), (2015).
  • , Virtual reality in assessment and treatment of schizophrenia: a systematic review, Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria, 64, 1, (70), (2015).
  • , Telemental health: A status update, World Psychiatry, 14, 2, (223-230), (2015).
  • , Effect of combined multiple contexts and multiple stimuli exposure in spider phobia: A randomized clinical trial in virtual reality, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 71, (45), (2015).
  • , Virtual Reality in Psychotherapy, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.21070-2, (138-146), (2015).
  • , Phobias Across the Lifespan, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.21015-5, (37-44), (2015).
  • , Treating Emotional Problems with Virtual and Augmented Reality, The Handbook of the Psychology of Communication Technology, (548-566), (2015).
  • , Early intervention for preventing posttraumatic stress disorder: an Internet-based virtual reality treatment, European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6, 1, (25608), (2015).
  • , Effect of an Exposure Program to Vegetables to Increase Young Children's Vegetable Consumption, Korean Journal of Health Psychology, 20, 2, (425), (2015).
  • , Assessing Knowledge Retention of an Immersive Serious Game vs. a Traditional Education Method in Aviation Safety, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 21, 4, (529), (2015).
  • , Working alliance inventory applied to virtual and augmented reality (WAI-VAR): psychometrics and therapeutic outcomes, Frontiers in Psychology, 6, (2015).
  • , A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship between Self-Reported Presence and Anxiety in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders, PLoS ONE, 9, 5, (e96144), (2014).
  • , Virtual reality exposure in anxiety disorders: Impact on psychophysiological reactivity, The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 15, 6, (427), (2014).
  • , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, The Wiley Handbook of Anxiety Disorders, (1310-1324), (2014).
  • , Specific Phobias: Assessment and Treatment, The Wiley Handbook of Anxiety Disorders, (895-923), (2014).
  • , Advancing psychotherapy and evidence‐based psychological interventions, International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 23, S1, (58-91), (2013).
  • , Toward a validation of cyber-interventions for stress disorders based on stress inoculation training: a systematic review, Virtual Reality, 18, 1, (73), (2014).
  • , Virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of anxiety disorders: An evaluation of research quality, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28, 6, (625), (2014).
  • , Sense of presence and anxiety during virtual social interactions between a human and virtual humans, PeerJ, 2, (e337), (2014).
  • , Terapia behawioralna zaburzeń lękowych, Postępy Psychiatrii i Neurologii, 23, 1, (3), (2014).
  • , Acceptability of virtual reality interoceptive exposure for the treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia, British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 42, 2, (123), (2014).
  • , The Feasibility and Acceptability of Virtual Environments in the Treatment of Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 43, 1, (63), (2014).
  • , Anxiety Induction in Virtual Environments: An Experimental Comparison of Three General Techniques, Interacting with Computers, 26, 6, (528), (2014).
  • , Specific Phobia, The Wiley Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (979-1000), (2013).
  • , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Does Not Provide Any Additional Value in Agoraphobic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 82, 3, (170), (2013).
  • , Specific Phobias, CBT for Anxiety Disorders, (107-133), (2013).
  • , Chronic Pain, The Wiley Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (463-488), (2013).
  • , Virtual reality can help to develop a new reality, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47, 2, (186), (2013).
  • , The Therapeutic Lamp: Treating Small-Animal Phobias, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 33, 1, (80), (2013).
  • , Panic Disorder, The Wiley Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (917-940), (2013).
  • , Innovation in Technology-Aided Psychotherapy Through Human Factors/Ergonomics: Toward a Collaborative Approach, Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 43, 4, (253), (2013).
  • , Behavioral Intervention Technologies: Evidence review and recommendations for future research in mental health, General Hospital Psychiatry, 35, 4, (332), (2013).
  • , New Directions in Virtual Reality-Based Therapy for Anxiety Disorders, International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 6, 2, (114), (2013).
  • , How level of realism influences anxiety in virtual reality environments for a job interview, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 71, 10, (978), (2013).
  • , Future Research and Applications, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Dental Phobia and Anxiety, (221-229), (2013).
  • , Exposure therapy in eating disorders revisited, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37, 2, (193), (2013).
  • , Context conditioning in virtual reality as a model for pathological anxiety, e-Neuroforum, 19, 3, (2013).
  • , Virtual reality exposure therapy in anxiety disorders: a quantitative meta‐analysis, Depression and Anxiety, 29, 2, (85-93), (2011).
  • , Does Yohimbine Hydrochloride Facilitate Fear Extinction in Virtual Reality Treatment of Fear of Flying A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 81, 1, (29), (2012).
  • , Socially Anxious and Confident Men Interact with a Forward Virtual Woman: An Experimental Study, PLoS ONE, 7, 4, (e32931), (2012).
  • 2012 12th International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications (ICCSA) Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 2012 12th International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications IEEE , (2012). 978-1-4673-1691-0 978-0-7695-4710-7 ARVET AND SAPTEPT: A Virtual Environment and a System Supported by Fuzzy Logic in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for PTSD Patients , (2012). 103 107 6257617 , 10.1109/ICCSA.2012.26 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6257617/
  • , Therapy in Virtual Environments—Clinical and Ethical Issues, Telemedicine and e-Health, 18, 7, (558), (2012).
  • , What’s Real?, Virtual Worlds and Metaverse Platforms, 10.4018/978-1-60960-854-5.ch006, (88-99)
  • , Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of PTSD: A Systematic Review, PLoS ONE, 7, 12, (e48469), (2012).
  • , The use of virtual reality in the study, assessment, and treatment of body image in eating disorders and nonclinical samples: A review of the literature, Body Image, 9, 1, (1), (2012).
  • , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapie, Psychopraktijk, 3, 1, (37), (2011).
  • , An Initial Comparison of Live Instruction and Immersive Video Modes of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Journal of Technology in Human Services, 29, 3, (212), (2011).
  • , The Use of Virtual Reality in Craving Assessment and Cue-Exposure Therapy in Substance Use Disorders, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00844, 8, (2014).
  • , In Vivo versus Augmented Reality Exposure in the Treatment of Small Animal Phobia: A Randomized Controlled Trial, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0148237, 11, 2, (e0148237), (2016).