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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 Specific Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

by Rebecca Newman 1,*
1
Universidade Federal de Goiás
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
JPHE  2022 5(1):136; https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx
Received: 28 January 2022 / Accepted: 26 February 2022 / Published Online: 28 May 2022
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Abstract

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) has emerged as a promising intervention for treating specific phobias. This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluates the efficacy of VRET in reducing symptoms of specific phobias and improving overall functioning in individuals with specific phobias. Through an extensive review of the literature, the meta-analysis synthesizes effect sizes from RCTs assessing the effectiveness of VRET compared to control conditions (e.g., waitlist, traditional exposure therapy) in targeting core symptoms of specific phobias, such as fear, avoidance behaviors, and distress. Additionally, it examines potential moderators of treatment outcomes, such as type of phobia targeted, duration of exposure, level of immersion, and participant characteristics (e.g., age, gender), to better understand the factors influencing the effectiveness of VRET for specific phobias.

Keywords: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; VRET; specific phobias; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trials; psychological intervention;
Copyright: © 2022 by Newman. 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
Newman, R. The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Specific Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Public Health & Environment, 2022, 5, 136. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxx
AMA Style
Newman R. The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Specific Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Public Health & Environment; 2022, 5(1):136. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxx
Chicago/Turabian Style
Newman, Rebecca 2022. "The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Specific Phobias: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials" Journal of Public Health & Environment 5, no.1:136. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxx

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References

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