Innovative digital interventions can transform health care delivery and alleviate suffering
1 - (Sym 128) Multi-user Virtual Reality Values-augmented Exposure Young Women at High-risk for Eating Disorders
Sunday, November 20, 2022
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
Location: Ziegfeld, 4th Floor
Keywords: Technology / Mobile Health, Telehealth/m-health, Treatment Recommended Readings: Matsangidou, M., Otkhmezuri, B., Ang, C.S., Avraamides, M., Riva, G., Gaggioli, A., Iosif, D., & Karekla, M. (2020). “Now i can see me” designing a multi-user virtual reality remote psychotherapy for body weight and shape concerns. Human–Computer Interaction, https://doi.org/10.1080/07370024.2020.1788945 Kelly, M. M., Sido, H., & Rosenheck, R. (2016). Rates and correlates of tobacco cessation service use nationally in the Veterans Health Administration. Psychological services, 13(2), 183.
Recent years have seen a growing research interest towards designing computer-assisted health interventions aiming the treatment of eating disorders. With the advent of lower-cost VR head-mounteddisplays (HMDs) and high internet data transfer capacity, there is a new opportunity for applying immersive VR tools to augment existing interventions. Moreover, recent evidence supports that acceptance of unwanted internal cues may be a moreadvantageous alternative to the change of thoughtsfor preventing and treating individuals at the spectrum of eating disorders. Furthermore, it is suggested that values-clarification work is purported to increase the motivation of treatment-resistant clients, such as those found to be at high-risk for developing eating disorders (ED) to engage in treatment. This study is among the first to explore the feasibility, acceptability and usefulness of a Multi-User Virtual Reality (MUVR) system as a therapeutic tool for participants at high-risk for EDs. Forty-six females deemed to be at high-risk for an ED (weight concern scale score >52) underwent the MUVR procedure and received either the values-augmented virtual environments or control (VR games) before proceeding to a VR body-image exposure task. Readiness to enter the exposure task was found to be higher for those in the values-augmented condition (p< .05). This paper will also present on the acceptability of this approach by participants and discuss feasibility and future implications.