Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Soldiers with PTSD may benefit from virtual reality exposure therapy
By Staff Writer
Based on the results of a recent study involving individuals with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), researchers believe that virtual reality exposure therapy may offer relief to military personnel suffering from the condition.
The findings from this study, which are set to appear in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, show that individuals who were exposed to virtual treatment were able to reduce their PTSD symptoms, with 62 percent of patients having reported a meaningful change in their symptoms.
This form of exposure therapy forces soldiers to repeatedly revisit their memory of the original trauma-inducing experience. This process allows them to safely relive the event and reduce anxiety in the process. To enhance the realism of the memory, the program can be customized to include sights, sounds, vibrations and scents.
Findings from a clinical trial involving Vietnam veterans and World Trade Center survivors have revealed that this form of therapy can be effective.
Researchers believe that therapy which involves virtual reality may be more appealing to younger service members with an interest in technology. As a result, they feel military personnel that otherwise would not seek treatment from mental health and drug rehab facilities will be more willing to try this form of therapy.
