Mitigating negative emotions through virtual reality and embodiment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer treatments often cause physical changes, increasing cancer patients' risk of mental health issues.
• Existing support methods may not fully address the somatic and psychological impact of cancer.
• There is a need for innovative interventions to improve coping mechanisms and mental well-being in cancer survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and describe an innovative Virtual Reality (VR) training program utilizing somatic techniques (embodiment) for cancer patients.
• To enhance patients' ability to cope with cancer-related physical and psychological difficulties.
• To increase stress tolerance and promote patient empowerment through a novel VR intervention.

Main Methods:

• The proposed training combines psycho-education with Virtual Reality (VR) elements including exposure, out-of-body experiences, and body swapping.
• The core technique involves embodiment, where patients virtually inhabit a resilient cancer patient.
• This advanced form of Stress Inoculation Training aims to bridge the gap between psychological coping and the bodily experience of illness.

Main Results:

• The VR training is expected to facilitate the implementation of functional coping strategies by triggering resilience concepts experienced within the simulation.
• The body swapping experience is highlighted as a key component for patient engagement and therapeutic impact.
• Successful implementation could lead to improved adjustment to post-treatment difficulties and enhanced patient empowerment.

Conclusions:

• The proposed VR embodiment training offers a novel approach to support cancer patients' mental health and adjustment.
• This intervention has the potential to be adapted for various oncological diseases and other clinical populations, such as those with social anxiety.
• Further research is needed to test this paradigm in diverse clinical settings and for different distressing situations.