Virtual reality treatment for major depressive disorder is as effective as a current first-line therapy in a new study from Stanford University.
There is some suggestion in the study, however, that the virtual reality system’s benefits may be related to the placebo effect.
Further investigation is warranted, and may result in virtual reality being added to existing therapies.
A new study investigates the use of extended reality headsets in treating major depressive disorder.
The authors of the study — which appears in JMIR Mental Health — found that virtual reality treatment showed promise, producing results equivalent to current telehealth therapy for depression.
Extended reality (XR) places a headset wearer in a synthesized virtual reality (VR) environment of sight and sound.
The current study compared the efficacy of one of the the current first-line intervention for major depressive disorder (MDD), behavioral activation therapy, with an extended reality-enhanced version the study refers to as “XR-BA.”
The researchers suggest that XR-BA therapy may offer more enjoyable treatment, thus encouraging patients to continue receiving it.
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