Terapia online através de realidade virtual : revisão sistemática e proposta de aplicação

Abstract

Technological development has promoted the emergence of new methodologies and techniques in psychological intervention, among which can be found remote interventions and virtual reality (VR). The latter, although less accessible to the general population, has consistently proven its effectiveness over the last decades, with special focus on using virtual environments for exposure therapy in anxiety disorders. The combination of these modalities, VR online therapy, has the potential to revolutionize remote interventions and assist in the innovation and dissemination of VR based interventions. This document presents a systematic review about this subject, with only 4 of the 2246 studies identified in Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO meeting the required inclusion criteria. The identified studies have an exploratory nature using innovative approaches, although with low scientific validity. Nonetheless, these studies represent the efforts of psychology in accompanying the exponential technological progress, with the results pointing to the possible feasibility of this intervention format. As such, a proposal is outlined for the development of a multifaceted application that allows: (a) a rigorous analysis of the experimental variables, (b) the adaptation and development of new intervention techniques, and (c) greater dissemination of psychological interventions through VR.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	PEDRO SANTOS PINTO GAMITO (Supervisor) & Maria Teresa Soares Souto (Supervisor)