Virtual reality as a therapy platform: study for patients with social phobia
Study at Freiburg University Medical Center investigates the causes of social phobias / Established exposure therapy takes place in virtual reality / Participants wanted
In a new study at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Center Freiburg, the causes of social phobias are to be intensively investigated in order to improve their treatment. To this end, participants between the ages of 18 and 65 who suffer from a social phobia are being sought. Patients receive comprehensive psychotherapy in which they are confronted with anxiety-inducing situations in a controlled manner, not in the real world, but in virtual reality.
"The use of virtual reality as a therapy platform offers new hope for patients with social phobia and other anxiety disorders," says study leader PD Dr. Miriam Schiele, Head Psychologist and Head of the Special Outpatient Clinic for Anxiety Disorders at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Freiburg University Medical Center. "The technology enables us to simulate realistic situations that trigger anxiety in patients in everyday life, such as speaking in front of a group or entering a crowded event. By repeatedly confronting these situations in a controlled environment, patients can overcome their fears and improve their confidence in social interactions," Schiele continues.
"The results of this study can help to improve the treatment of people with social phobias and other anxiety disorders," says Prof. Dr. Dr. Katharina Domschke, Medical Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Freiburg University Medical Center.
As part of the study, those affected receive twelve weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, which includes confrontation with anxiety-inducing situations, known as exposure. This therapy is the clinical standard for the treatment of social phobia. During the course of therapy, various psychological, physiological, neurobiological and immunological data are also collected at several examination appointments and examined with regard to their ability to change as a result of psychotherapy.
Contact for interested parties:
Telephone: 0761 270-69142 (study telephone with answering machine)
psy.vr-studien@uniklinik-freiburg.de (subject: SP)
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