Arlington-based Texas Health Resources’ Addiction Recovery Center began using virtual reality in treatment in July to help patients cope with substance use disorder in a controlled setting, according to an Oct. 29 report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The 80-bed facility uses exposure therapy to help patients practice responding to triggering environments with the goals of reducing physiological activation over repeated sessions. Patients interact with the virtual reality environment until they can do so without being activated, according to the report.
The tool includes multiple settings — a house party, family gathering and a bar scene — that can be customized with specific substances and even scents to simulate real-world conditions. Inside the virtual reality experience, patients can walk around and practice refusing offers of alcohol or drugs.
Ken Jones, PsyD, behavioral health clinical officer for Texas Health, said the response to the technology has been “overwhelmingly positive.” He added that to his knowledge, it is the only tool of its kind used in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Tyler Wray, PhD, associate professor of behavioral and social sciences at the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, R.I., said although initial research has been promising, it’s limited by small sample sizes and short follow-up periods.
“We definitely do not have a good sense of which substances it’s most effective for at this point,” Dr. Wray said.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.