A new study published in JMIR Mental Health says that virtual reality treatment shows some results equal to telehealth therapy for depression. The use of extended reality headsets in treating major depressive disorder has been looked into. This study compared the efficacy of one of the current first-line interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD) , behavioral activation therapy with an extended reality enhanced version is known as ‘XR-BA’
XR-BA therapy might offer more enjoyable treatment which is why researchers are encouraging patients to continue receiving it. The primary measure used in the study was the participants’ scores in their responses to a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) conducted via telephone. Higher PHQ-9 scores indicated more severe MDD. This study involved 26 participants who were randomly assigned to receive either a 3-week, 4-session course of behavioral activation therapy or a group receiving the same configured sessions of XR-BA therapy. The XR-BA participants were outfitted with Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headsets.
The average age of the participants was 50 years among which 73% were women, 23% were men, and 4% were nonbinary or of a third gender. Both these groups exhibited a similar and statistically significant reduction in their PHQ-9 scores between the beginning and end of the trial. Among the XR-BA group, PHQ-9 scores dropped even before the first session suggesting positive feelings related to an upcoming trial, and a placebo effect.
Researchers say that for individuals with MDD who are interested in new technology, XR-BA therapy may present therapeutic content within a compelling environment. They say that doctors should use XR as a treatment tool to help motivate clients to actively engage in their psychotherapy treatment since these results indicate that XR may help to de-stigmatize mental healthcare and reduce barriers to individuals seeking care.
Even though the placebo effect might have something to do with XR-BA’s positive mental health impact, further research is needed. Psychiatry, in general, has a history of being extremely excited about one new intervention. There are a lot of previous studies done on improving treatments, but it can be said that when it comes to mental disorders, a mix of different interventions has a better chance of enabling the patient to deal with their disorders rather than one. While it may be plausible to add XR-BA to the list of therapies above, experts say that it’s important to move with caution and make sure that the patient is allowed to use multiple kinds of treatments to find what works best for them.
