Deterioration rates in Virtual Reality Therapy: An individual patient data level meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly recognized for treating anxiety disorders.
• Limited data exists on moderators and potential adverse effects of VR interventions.
• Understanding patient deterioration is crucial for evaluating treatment efficacy and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate deterioration rates in Virtual Reality (VR) treatment for anxiety disorders.
• To identify potential moderators, including socio-demographic variables, influencing treatment outcomes.
• To compare deterioration rates between VR, active control conditions, and waitlist (WL) groups.

Main Methods:

• Employed an Individual Patient Data (IPD) approach using 15 retrieved datasets.
• Analyzed data from 810 patients across randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
• Conducted moderator analyses on socio-demographic variables and compared deterioration rates.

Main Results:

• Deterioration rates were 4.0% in VR, 2.8% in active controls, and 15% in WL conditions.
• Patients in WL groups had significantly higher odds of deterioration (OR 4.87) compared to active treatments.
• Marital status was the only significant moderator in the WL condition; married individuals had lower deterioration odds (OR 0.19).

Conclusions:

• VR therapy for anxiety disorders demonstrates deterioration rates comparable to established therapeutic approaches.
• Deterioration is significantly less likely in active treatment conditions (VR and others) than in WL groups.
• Socio-demographic factors, except marital status in WL, did not significantly predict deterioration, suggesting broad applicability of VR.