Extended reality and phobia treatments: a systematic literature review

Ferreira, Tatiana; Batista, Tatiana; Lopes, Tiago; Malheiro, Pedro; Vitorino, João; Vaz, Roberto; Sousa, João

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36110

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Resumo(s)

Phobias significantly impact individuals’ daily lives, requiring effective treatment methods. Traditional therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and in vivo exposure therapy have shown effectiveness but face several limitations that extended reality (XR) technologies can help surpass by offering innovative approaches. This study aims to organize this field of knowledge and investigate new research avenues. A systematic literature review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted to examine high-quality studies published during the last decade in Scopus and Web of Science databases, organizing the results according to the phobia types, therapeutic methodologies, technologies used, participant demographics, and treatment outcomes. It concludes that XR technologies, particularly Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), are effective in reducing symptoms of various phobias (e.g., acrophobia, arachnophobia, and social phobia). XR provides immersive, controlled, and repeatable environments for exposure therapy, demonstrating efficacy comparable to traditional methods and representing a transformative tool in psychological treatment for phobias. Despite important challenges identified (e.g., high equipment costs and the need for technological proficiency among therapists), XR shows promise in enhancing the future of phobia treatment. Future research should focus on optimizing treatment protocols, improving accessibility, and evaluating long-term efficacy to leverage XR’s potential in mental health therapy fully.

Palavras-chave

Extended reality Virtual reality Augmented reality Phobia treatment Virtual reality exposure therapy Cognitive-behavioral therapy Mental health therapy

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http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36110

Citação

Ferreira, Tatiana; Batista, Tatiana; Lopes, Tiago; Malheiro, Pedro; Vitorino, João; Vaz, Roberto; Sousa, João (2025). Extended reality and phobia treatments: a systematic literature review. In 16th International Conference on ENTERprise Information Systems, CENTERIS 2024 - 12th International Conference on Project MANagement, ProjMAN 2024 - 14th International Conference on Health and Social Care Information Systems and Technologies, HCist 2024. 256, p. 1064-1072. ISSN 1877-0509. DOI: 10.1016/2025.02.213