The effectiveness of VR exposure therapy for PTSD in returning warfighters

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2012:181:128-32.

Abstract

In the decade following the attack on the World Trade Center, over 2.3 million American military personnel were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Lengthy tours of duty and multiple re-deployments were characteristic of these operations. Research findings demonstrate that prolonged exposure to combat increases the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study was a randomized controlled clinical trial designed to assess the effectiveness of a novel intervention to treat combat-related PTSD in returning Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) warfighters. A cognitive behavior treatment approach augmented with virtual reality exposure therapy (VRE) was developed, and administered for 10 treatment sessions over 5 weeks. Comparisons with a control group receiving minimal attention (MA) for 5 weeks revealed that the VRE group had significant reductions in the avoidance/numbing symptoms on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). The VRE group also had significant reductions in guilt at post-treatment compared to the control group.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Afghan Campaign 2001-
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Implosive Therapy / methods*
  • Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Male
  • Military Personnel / psychology*
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • User-Computer Interface*