From physical healing to psychological readiness: Integrating virtual reality-based CBT into post-crash rehabilitation

This Letter to the Editor responds to Erdogan-Yildirim et al.'s review on the psychological and behavioral consequences of physical injuries after road traffic crashes. While the review highlights posttraumatic stress symptoms, driving-related avoidance, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and virtual reality-based exposure, the operational integration of these components into post-crash rehabilitation requires further clarification. The novelty of this perspective lies in reframing recovery as a staged transition from physical healing to psychological readiness. We propose that virtual reality-based CBT may reduce post-crash psychological distress by modifying catastrophic driving-related appraisals, decreasing avoidance behavior, and strengthening driving self-efficacy through graded, therapist-guided driving simulations. This approach could be embedded after medical stabilization through early psychological screening, brief CBT, controlled virtual exposure, and gradual return-to-mobility planning. Future studies should test whether reduced driving avoidance and improved self-efficacy mediate psychological recovery after road traffic crashes.