Virtual Reality can now be used to fight severe paranoia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Virtual reality isn't just for gamers and early adopters, it can also help treat those with severe paranoia, Digital Spy reports.

Researchers at Oxford University used the technology to treat those who suffered persecutory delusions.

Patients wearing virtual reality headsets were encouraged to step into virtual recreations of environments they would potentially find stressful, like a London Underground train carriage or a lift.

The study's 30 patients could then learn to cope with social situations they feared were unsafe.

The patients were split into two groups. One group was told to use their normal defensive behaviour, like avoiding eye contact, while the other was encouraged to lower their defences and approach the computer-generated avatars.

The second group showed a big reduction in their anxiety - more than half no longer had severe paranoia at the end of the tests.

But even the first group saw some reduction in their level of severe paranoia.

The study was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, and was funded by the Medical Research Council.

Prof Daniel Freeman, who led the study, told the BBC that virtual reality headsets can help people to relearn they are safe. When they do that, "the paranoia melts away".

He went on to praise the technology as "a glimpse into the future of mental healthcare", adding: "There is a revolution under way in virtual reality with many headsets becoming available.

"As these become more affordable we will see them used not just in clinical settings, but in people's homes."