The potential of Virtual Reality as anxiety management tool: a randomized controlled study in a sample of patients affected by Generalized Anxiety Disorder

摘要: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric characterized by constant and unspecific that interferes with daily-life activities. Its high prevalence in general population the severe limitations it causes, point out necessity to find new efficient strategies treat it. Together cognitive-behavioural treatments, relaxation represents useful approach for treatment of GAD, but has limitation hard be learned. To overcome this we propose use virtual reality (VR) facilitate process visually presenting key relaxing images subjects. The visual presentation calm scenario can patients' practice mastery relaxation, making experience more vivid real than one most subjects create using their own imagination memory, triggering broad empowerment within induced sense presence. According these premises, aim present study investigate advantages VR-based protocol reducing patients affected GAD. trial based on randomized controlled study, including three groups 25 each (for total 75 patients): (1) VR group, (2) non-VR group (3) waiting list (WL) group. Patients will taught relax environment audio-visual mobile narratives; same narratives proposed without support, WL not receive any kind training. Psychometric psychophysiological outcomes serve as quantitative dependent variables, while subjective reports participants used qualitative variables. We argue promising GAD since enhances quality through elicitation This able evaluate effects preserving benefits randomization reduce bias. NCT00602212 (ClinicalTrials.gov)