Efficacy of exposure scenario in virtual reality for the treatment of acrophobia: A randomized controlled trial

Background and objectives

Individuals with acrophobia (fear of heights) can experience severe anxiety or panic attacks when they are located at height. This randomized controlled study aimed to verify the effects of a novel scalable virtual reality-based exposure (VR exposure) tool in individuals with acrophobia, by exposing them to a predefined set of situations they usually tend to avoid.

Methods

Forty-three adults were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: the experimental group or the waitlist group. Both groups attended initial short online education. The experimental group consecutively attended three VR-based exposure therapy (VRET) intervention sessions over 3–5 weeks during which the therapist encouraged participants to enter the predefined feared situations, while the control group on the waitlist had no additional intervention.

Results

The findings show that a 3-session VR exposure intervention with a standardized set of tasks effectively reduces the level of experienced height intolerance and particularly avoidance behavior compared to the control waitlist group limited to psychoeducation only. Results were maintained at the 2 months follow-up. The higher the sense of presence after the VR exposure was, the lower the avoidance level rated in the follow-up.

Limitations

Our study has some limitations, such as potential sample selection bias and tracking of only medium-term effects in the 2-month follow-up.

Conclusions

The findings show that three sessions of VR exposure intervention with a standardized set of VR-based scenarios are effective in reducing the level of height intolerance and associated avoidance behavior and led to improvement of the outcome measures two months after the procedure. The role of presence was implicated in the prolonged outcome of the VR exposure intervention.