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The use of Biofeedback in Clinical Virtual Reality: The INTREPID Project

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Using Extended Reality to Enhance Effectiveness and Group Identification in Remote Group Therapy for Anxiety

Ayoub Bouguettaya¹, Elias Aboujaoude^1,2

¹Program of Internet, Health, and Society, Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

JMIR Formative Research

|November 4, 2024

Summary

Extended reality (XR) can enhance online group therapy for anxiety disorders by improving social identification and interactivity. This technology offers a promising avenue to increase the effectiveness and appeal of virtual mental health treatments.

Keywords:

anxiety augmented reality cognitive behavioral therapy extended reality group therapy mental health psychotherapy telepsychiatry virtual reality therapy

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Human-Computer Interaction
Digital Health

Background:

Group therapy is effective for anxiety disorders but online formats face challenges with social identification and interactivity.
Extended reality (XR) technologies, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), present potential solutions to these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore how XR technology can improve online group therapy for anxiety disorders.
To examine existing evidence on anxiety disorder treatment via offline group therapy, online group therapy, and VR.
To identify strategies for increasing social identification and interactivity within XR-based online group therapy.

Main Methods:

This viewpoint paper reviews existing literature on group therapy for anxiety disorders (offline, online, and VR).
It analyzes the potential of XR to enhance social connection and engagement in virtual therapeutic settings.
It synthesizes research streams to propose integration methods for XR in online group therapy.

Main Results:

XR technology has the potential to mitigate the reduced social identification and interactivity common in online group therapy.
By leveraging XR's immersive capabilities, online group therapy can become more engaging and effective for anxiety disorder treatment.
Specific strategies can be employed to foster connection between users, therapists, and the XR platform.

Conclusions:

Integrating XR into online group therapy offers a significant opportunity to enhance treatment for anxiety disorders.
XR can bridge the gap in social connection and interactivity, making virtual therapy more appealing and beneficial.
Further research and development in XR for mental health can expand access to effective anxiety disorder treatments.