Remotely conducted versus office-based virtual reality treatment for aviophobia: Questions of feasibility and accessibility

ABSTRACT

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an efficacious treatment modality for anxiety disorder treatment. Advances within this technology have allowed individuals to experience virtual reality remotely over the Internet;yet little is known about the feasibility of implementing remote VRET. This study compared the effectiveness of conducting VRET remotely to delivering the same treatment in a traditional, in-person format. A sample of 17 aviophobia participants, split over the 2 conditions, received 8 intensive hours of VRET treatment for fear of flying that included virtual exposure to full airplane flights. The VRET was delivered via smartphone technology through a commercial supplier. All participants were administered the Flight Anxiety Situations (FAS) at intake and at the conclusion of treatment. Whereas participants in both conditions demonstrated significant reductions in flight-related anxiety as measured by the FAS, there were no significant differences between treatment conditions on the FAS and completion rates of graduation flights. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of remotely conducted VRET as the outcomes for remote and in-person conditions were equally effective. By implementing remote VRET, clinicians may effectively work with phobic individuals whom experience barriers to psychotherapeutic treatment such as prohibitive costs or lack of community accessibility to such services. VRET may become another useful teletherapy modality with additional research supporting its utility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement What is the significance of this article for the general public?-This study provides preliminary evidence that remote virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) produces similar treatment gains to in-person VRET for treatment of aviophobia. These results lay the groundwork for using this novel approach to treat individuals with other anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who otherwise might experience barriers to accessing treatment. These findings are particularly timely given the heightened sensitivity of providing teletherapy services stimulated by the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)