Virtual reality treatment shows success in those with schizophrenia, mood disorders

OxfordVR has announced a successful new virtual reality therapy for patients with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and mood disorders with psychotic symptoms.

The technology, dubbed gameChangeVR, has users guided by a virtual coach for 6 weeks through safe and immersive cognitive behavioral therapy. According to a company press release, the therapy reduced avoidance and distress, improved paranoia and enhanced quality of life when used in conjunction with standard of care drug therapy.

“We are delighted that gameChange has produced excellent results for people with some of the most challenging mental health problems,” Daniel Freeman, PhD, DClinPsy, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford and OxfordVR scientific co-founder, said in the press release.

Freeman, the lead author of the gameChangeVR multi-center, parallel-group, single-blind, randomized, controlled study, and colleagues enrolled patients aged 16 years and older with schizophrenia or an active diagnosis with psychotic symptoms. Those who received the virtual reality therapy participated in six sessions over 6 weeks.

A total of 346 participants were included. Of those, 67% were men, 85% (n = 294) were white, and the mean age was 37.2 years. Patients were randomized, and 174 received the therapy, while 172 received usual care.

Compared with those getting the usual care, those who received the virtual reality treatment had significant reductions in avoidance (adjusted mean difference = –0.47; 95% CI, –0.88 to –0.06) and distress (aMD = –4.33; –7.78 to –0.87) after 6 weeks. Additionally, no serious adverse events were reported.

“Using today’s affordable and easy-to-use consumer [virtual reality] equipment, we think gameChange will lead a transformation in the digital provision of evidence-based psychological therapy, with deployment at scale for treatments that really work,” Freeman said.

References:

Business Wire. OxfordVR technology a world first success in automating psychological therapy using virtual reality (VR). https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220406005993/en. Accessed April 12, 2022.

Freeman D, et al. Lancet Psychiatry. 2022;doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00060-8.