Virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders: The state of the art

Abstract

In the past 10 years virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has become a viable alternative for exposure in vivo, the gold standard for the treatment of anxiety disorders. VRET is often regarded as a natural extension of the systematic exposure component of (cognitive) behavior therapy. The objective of this chapter is to discuss the treatment of anxiety disorders with VRET and review research into the outcome of VRET and the presumed (underlying) mechanisms of VRET. We discuss variables, which could play an important role during therapy such as the capability of people to experience the virtual world as real (presence), cognitions, psychophysiology, and the therapeutic alliance. Treatment procedures will be illustrated with case vignettes for different anxiety disorders. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.