VR learning and mental health

Osumi et al 2019

VR can be used in rehabilitation of phantom limb pain

• Tracks the patient’s hand and mimics their missing limb to trick the brain into thinking it is still there and therefore reducing pain

Simspon et al (2003)

VR can teach children how to cross roads safely

• By practicing in a VR environment, they can safely gain skills and demonstrate the consequences of doing it wrong

• The environment doesnt need to be as realistic as it is still effective, otherwise it could have a negative impact on wellbeing such as traumatisation

Adjorlu et al 2018

VR to teach social skills for children with ASD

• Provides a comfortable environment to practice social skills without worrying about potential harm to other children

Kleygrewe et al 2024

VR can be used in Police training

• VR provides an environment for training as they would in real life, without the risks of failure

• Police were just as stressed in VR training as they were in real life training - just as effective

Cooper et al 2021

• VR ppts with multisensory cues completed the task faster than real life training to change a tyre

• VR with MSC resulted in fewer errors compared to VR without MSC

Michael Batterley

Learning sequences

• ppts had faster reaction times when using VR with MSCs compared to only VR

• ppts had faster reaction times in physical condition compared to only VR

• no sig difference in reaction times between physical condition and VR with MSCs

• no sig difference in recall of sequence between conditions

Carl et al 2019

When using VRET to treat social anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias or PTSD there was no significant difference in outcomes compared to in-vivo therapy

Landowska et al 2018

XRET - included pit room and VR

• in non-phobic ppts, a single exposure to fearful stimuli resulted in activation of the pFC

• in phobic ppts, after 3 sessions of exposure to fearful stimuli, there was an increase in activation by pFC and decrease in distress