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Journal of Public Health & Environment

Volume 5, 2022 - Issue 1

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The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

by Naomi Potter 1,*
1
Universidade Federal de Goiás
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
JPHE  2022 5(1):130; https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx
Received: 17 January 2022 / Accepted: 15 February 2022 / Published Online: 18 May 2022
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Abstract

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has emerged as a promising intervention for the treatment of various phobias. This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examines the efficacy of VRET in reducing symptoms of phobias. Drawing from a comprehensive review of the literature, the meta-analysis synthesizes effect sizes from RCTs that assess the effectiveness of VRET compared to control conditions (e.g., waitlist, traditional exposure therapy) in alleviating phobia symptoms and improving related outcomes, such as anxiety levels, avoidance behaviors, and treatment adherence. Additionally, it explores potential moderators of intervention effectiveness, such as the type of phobia targeted, VRET protocol (e.g., exposure intensity, presence of therapist guidance), and participant characteristics (e.g., age, severity of phobia), to better understand the factors that influence the outcomes of VRET for phobias.

Keywords: virtual reality exposure therapy; phobias; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trials; anxiety disorders; treatment efficacy;
Copyright: © 2022 by Potter. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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ACS Style
Potter, N. The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Public Health & Environment, 2022, 5, 130. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxx
AMA Style
Potter N. The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Public Health & Environment; 2022, 5(1):130. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxx
Chicago/Turabian Style
Potter, Naomi 2022. "The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials" Journal of Public Health & Environment 5, no.1:130. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxx

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References

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