The application of virtual reality exposure therapy in fear of flying / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Fear of flying (FOF) is a common type of specific phobia, and exposure therapy is often used as the main psychological treatment in clinical treatment. However, traditional exposure therapy is limited by time and space, making it difficult to achieve real-time adjustment of exposure scenarios. Meanwhile, due to the high cost of treatment and reliance on therapist guidance, it is difficult to promote and implement it on a large scale. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a new therapy developed in recent years, which can enhance the applicability and effectiveness of exposure therapy. More and more studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of VRET in treating FOF, thus providing more options for the treatment of patients suffering from FOF. In addition, in order to further enhance its effectiveness and scalability, more researches has made new attempts to enhance users' sense of presence, explore factors influencing efficacy, and develop low-cost, self-service treatments and has made certain progress. Reviewing recent applications of VRET for FOF holds crucial clinical significance. These findings not only provide practical information for doctors and psychological therapists to treat FOF, but also have the potential to benefit more and more patients and sub-clinical populations. Furthermore, they may foster innovation in the treatment of various other mental disorders. This article aims to review recent applications of VRET in treating FOF, summarize research results, and discuss the limitations of current research and future development directions in order to provide useful inspiration for future research directions and future clinical work in the treatment of FOF.