Agoraphobialiterally means fear of space. This fear of space also creates a feeling of being stuck in an area. The person thinks as if he is going to be embarrassing, panics and feels as if he cannot escape from the environment he is in. Agoraphobia is defined by experts as a kind of anxiety disorder. Predicting this phobia is not that easy in real life. Experts continue to carry out various studies in this context. A new study in this field is a valuable work on the positive effects of developing technology on people.
GuardScientists have designed a virtual reality (VR) system to help people for whom certain environments, situations and interactions can cause intense fear and distress. Along with this system, the scientists said, the approach allowed participants to build confidence and alleviate their fears, helping them take on tasks they had previously avoided in real life. According to the study in question, those with more severe psychological problems benefited the most from this system.
The principal investigator of the study, from the University of Oxford psychiatry department Professor Daniel Freemanhe said that it has brought about a real change in people’s lives. Freeman also said that while the scenarios sound real, the computer-generated scenes allowed participants to feel like they could try something new or approach the situation in a different way.
Participants in the virtual reality group each used the technology for about six sessions of 30 minutes over six weeks. While each participant was using the VR headset, a healthcare worker was in the same room with that person. One of the patients who participated in the study said that she had not even been able to take the bus to visit her father’s grave before, but she gained self-confidence thanks to her virtual reality experience.
It is not known how effective this treatment method will be due to the costs of virtual reality headsets, but we can say that using technology in this field is a really important development.
