Design and implementation of virtual reality software with psychological treatment for drug-dependent patients / 生物医学工程学杂志

ABSTRACT

High relapse rate of drug-dependent patients is a serious problem in the current situation. The present article describes how to design and implement virtual reality technology for drug-dependent patients with psychological treatment, with the aim at the addiction withdrawal. The software was developed based on open-source game engine for 2D models. The form of a game simulates the actual style in the day-to-day living environment of drug-dependent patients and the temptation of using drugs. The software helps the patients deal with different scenarios and different event handling, cause their own thinking, and response to the temptation from high-risk environment and from other drug-dependent patients. The function of the software is close to the real life of drug-dependent patients, and has a prospect to become a new treatment to reduce the relapse rate of drug-dependence.