Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety

Title
Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety
Publication Date
2018-09
Author(s)
Chesham, Rachel K
Malouff, John M
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6728-7497
Email: jmalouff@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:jmalouff
Schutte, Nicola S
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3294-7659
Email: nschutte@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nschutte
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1017/bec.2018.15
UNE publication id
une:-20180629-15254
une:-20180629-15254
Abstract
Social anxiety is a common, debilitating psychological problem. In the present study, two meta-analyses examined the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety. The first meta-analysis tested whether virtual reality exposure therapy reduces social anxiety more than a wait-list control condition. The results of the first meta-analysis, consisting of six studies and 233 participants, showed a significant overall effect size, indicating that virtual reality exposure therapy was effective in reducing social anxiety. The second meta-analysis tested whether the standard treatment for social anxiety, which includes in vivo or imaginal exposure, leads to greater effects than virtual reality exposure therapy. The second meta-analysis, consisting of seven studies and 340 total participants, showed essentially no difference in effect sizes between virtual reality exposure and in vivo or imaginal exposure. The results of the two meta-analyses support the use of virtual reality in the treatment of social anxiety.
Link
Citation
Behaviour Change, 35(3), p. 152-166
ISSN
2049-7768
0813-4839
Start page
152
End page
166

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