Virtual Reality as a Tool in Early Interventions

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most debilitating psychological disorders affecting United States soldiers and veterans who have been exposed to combat. Treatments for PTSD include psychological debriefing, which has been criticized lately for its questionable efficacy, and imaginal exposure therapy, which is problematic in that some PTSD sufferers are unable to engage well enough to elicit the necessary response. The weaknesses inherent in these treatments have created a pressing need for alternatives. One promising option is to utilize virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VRGET). The Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC) is currently conducting research, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), studying virtual reality therapy as an early intervention tool for PTSD.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA472741

Entities

People

  • Brenda K. Wiederhold
  • Mark D. Wiederhold

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Case Studies
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Drug Abuse
  • Intervention
  • Iraqi-War
  • Marine Corps
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Operations
  • Psychotherapy
  • Therapy
  • Training
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Virtual Reality
  • War
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Systems Analysis and Design