Ein Selbstversuch in der psychiatrischen Institutsambulanz der Knappschaft Kliniken Dortmund zeigt eindrücklich, wie Virtual Reality Erzählen neu gestaltet: Eine Patientin erlebt ihre Höhenangst real – vor ihr eine endlos lange Hängebrücke über einem Abgrund, unter ihr rauschen Autos, um sie herum Berge und eine Burgruine – obwohl sie nur im Behandlungszimmer steht. Die immersive 360°-Aufnahme lässt kaum Raum für Zweifel: „Je größer die Angst ist, desto realer wird das Video empfunden“, erklärt Leitende Psychologin Susanne Scheidat. Die VR-Technologie macht Situationen erfahrbar, die in der realen Welt kaum simulierbar sind – etwa eine Hängebrücke, Vogelspinne oder das Autofahren auf der Autobahn (Quelle: Ruhr Nachrichten)
Since May, the institute's outpatient clinic has been regularly using this VR headset for the treatment of patients with anxiety, as well as for depression, PTSD, chronic pain, compulsions, and addictions. Often, just three to five sessions with individually selected scenarios are enough to achieve initial therapeutic progress. The technology thus provides a realistic and safe way to confront fears directly.
Before the application, it is also checked whether there are no contraindications such as epilepsy, severe visual or balance disorders. The VR therapy is used not only for adults but also in some facilities for older people with dementia as well as in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Supplementary Aspects of the Application of VR in Psychotherapy
- Safety and Acceptance through Graduated Exposure
VR allows for the gradual and controlled processing of fears – in a safe setting. This reduces the risk of retraumatization compared to real-life confrontation with anxiety-provoking situations. The high presence of the scenarios supports the therapeutic effect, while negative effects are minimized through careful selection of scenarios and monitoring. - Measurability and Documentation
Modern VR systems can record bodily data (e.g., heart rate, movement, gaze behavior) and session progress. These objective parameters allow for a detailed documentation of therapy progress, especially in exposure settings where subjective reports alone are insufficient. - Flexible Adaptation and Rollout Potential
VR scenarios can be individually configured and reused multiple times. This enables efficient use in outpatient facilities and easy scalability, for example, for therapeutic groups or hybrid teletherapy models.
Note on Technology
In the application described here, the VT system from Lab E virtuallythere was used. This system is characterized by particularly high-quality 360° scenarios, intuitive control, and flexible module adaptation, making it ideal for graduated exposure in therapy. The areas of application include:
- Scenario selection and intensity control: From low to high exposure, depending on the therapy goal
- Therapist Portal: Control of Exposure, Planning and Documentation of Practice and VR@Home Applications
With the use of the VT system from Lab E, therapeutic possibilities in psychotherapy are expanded - through realistic exposure in a protected environment, and scalable, safe application in various indications offer promising perspectives for the use of VR in different psychotherapeutic areas such as anxiety, stress, depression, ADHD, etc.
