Virtual reality could unlock better treatment for psychosis a use case that’s gaining traction globally [Video]

In May 2022, Daniel Freeman, a psychology professor at Oxford University, published the results of a landmark clinical trial. For years, Freeman had been developing and fine-tuning the use of gameChange, virtual-reality cognitive-therapy software. Guided by a virtual coach, users walk through a series of everyday scenarios, from getting on a bus to stepping into a coffee shop, rating their fear levels at every stage.

The trial included 346 people with psychosis, who often experience severe anxiety and agoraphobia.

“Psychosis is not a mental illness but a symptom that appears as part of different mental illnesses,” said Kai Conibear, the author of “The Myth-Busting Guide to Psychosis,” out later this month. These mental illnesses include, but are not limited to, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anywhere from 15 to 100 people out of 100,000 develop psychosis annually, according to the National Institute for Mental Health. Conibear pointed …