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With the advent of affordable mobile VR headsets, such as the Gear VR, there is a new opportunity to apply telemedicine to decentralize mental health treatment, reaching more patients and improving lives around the world.Ī key challenge today is the lack of clinical evidence and data to support if and how VR can be used to administer effective treatment both in the clinic (expanded use) and remotely. Due to cost and technology limitations, it has not been widely available, to date. Virtual reality (VR) has been used for decades as a tool for therapists to administer virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) in a safe and controlled manner. Can virtual reality become a global mental health treatment platform? While severe disorders may still require pharmacological intervention, techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy (ET) are highly effective in conditions such as anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, PTSD and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) when administered by a qualified practitioner. Part of the problem is a lack of specific training of family physicians in mental health, combined with the difficulty to find and access qualified mental health practitioners.

But many doctors still tend to over-prescribe medications that are either not effective, have disturbing side effects or are completely unnecessary. in lost productivity and medical expenses ($2.5 trillion globally).įor many disorders, there are highly effective treatments that don’t require drugs. Psychological conditions and mental health disorders affect our daily lives, and cost an estimated $467 billion in the U.S. Even those who don’t can still experience significant stress and anxiety.

Some examples include general stress at work, relationship issues, fears and phobias, depression and other anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Īn estimated one in five people in the U.S. It can be relatively mild or extremely severe and debilitating - or anywhere along the spectrum. Most of us experience some level of stress and anxiety in our lives.