A Review of Virtual Reality as a Psychotherapeutic Tool

Simulations of reality have been used for over 30 years by the military for training and performance evaluations in a variety of tasks. Expensive and sophisticated systems today are used for training and certification of both commercial and military airline pilots. The interest in virtual reality by the entertainment industry has helped the emergence and development of low-cost virtual reality systems for use by the general public. Because of the unique nature of virtual environments, many investigators have begun to ask questions concerning the use of virtual environments for medical applications. Advanced simulators for surgical training are one example of a well-developed application using virtual reality techniques. In this article, we review the literature and explore the possibility of using virtual reality as a psychotherapeutic tool. Initial studies treating simple phobias with virtual reality techniques are described. Issues relating to potential applications and possible side effects, as well as clinical outcomes and cost effectiveness, are also discussed.