According to new research, first responders report significantly high Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) rates during the pandemic. The study, which included 1,000 frontline workers, stated that nearly one-quarter exhibited signs of the mental health disorder. However, to put this into perspective, only 6.8 percent of the general population ever experiences PTSD in their lifetime, according to the National Comorbidity Survey.
Fortunately, new virtual reality (VR) technology provides hope for the recovery of first responders who have PTSD and other forms of trauma. This article reveals the latest in VR therapy and highlights critical innovations in mass casualty virtual reality training for first responders.
History of VR as Treatment for Trauma
Virtual reality’s potential to treat certain mental health disorders has been studied since the early 90s. The practice has slowly gathered momentum as the technology has improved and become more affordable. According to the New York Times, “Dr. JoAnn Difede, a psychology professor at Weill Cornell Medicine and a pioneer in VR treatment for PTSD, said the headset she used for research with 9/11 survivors cost $25,000 at the time and weighed 10 pounds. Now, an average headset sells for under $300.”
How does this technology work? Most VR therapies build on a treatment modality called exposure therapy. This form of cognitive therapy targets avoidance behaviors that people engage in response to situations and memories that are viewed as anxiety-provoking. In exposure therapy, a patient describes a traumatic event to a clinician in detail and then faces triggers of the event in the real world. Over time, patients become desensitized to their memories. VR therapy, also known as Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), takes exposure treatment to another level, as the patient is immersed in scenes that would be hard to duplicate in real life. However, there’s a dual consciousness in patients who use virtual reality; the images on the screen are almost lifelike, but the headset functions as proof that they are not real.
According to an article in Health Matters, “Inside Dr. JoAnn Difede’s office, patients put on the headset and see the computer-generated environment. Then, using toggles, like in a video game, patients can walk through a marketplace or drive a convoy through the desert, hearing and feeling the truck thundering beneath them. While doing so, the patient describes the traumatic experience to Difede, who sits nearby. Difede, who can see the virtual images on a computer screen, manipulates details to make them more specific to the individual. For example, she can summon a sandstorm or create an explosion (the patient feels the vibration) or introduce the sound of shooting.” Dr. Difede reveals in the article, “By going over the trauma, the person can gain a sense of control over it. We’re helping them walk through a horrific situation to help them find a way out.”
Does VRET Work? What Past Research Shows
One two-year study at Cardiff University included veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD. The research used Multi-modular Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation (3MDR) technology, a novel treatment for PTSD combining aspects of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Two-thirds of those who took part in the trial saw an average improvement in their symptoms of 37 percent.
Another research study used a cognitive behavior treatment approach augmented with virtual reality exposure therapy. The trial was administered for ten sessions over five weeks. Comparisons with a control group receiving minimal attention for the same amount of time revealed that the VRET group had significant reductions in the avoidance and numbing symptoms on the PTSD Scale (CAPS). The VRET group also had substantial decreases in guilt as compared to the control group. However, it should be noted that while a considerable body of research supports the effectiveness of VRET for the treatment of specific mental health disorders, only a small number of controlled studies have investigated the efficacy of VRET in patients with PTSD.
New Innovations in VR Exposure Therapy & Mass Casualty Training
, a nonprofit trauma research center and treatment clinic at the University of Central Florida (UCF), has developed a VR treatment tool that can be used to recreate a patient’s traumatic experience. The device promises to immerse participants in the smells, sights, and sounds of their original trauma, all of which can be customized to their individual experiences. According to UCF, “Recreating the same sensory stimuli that occurred in the context of the traumatic event is critical to effective recovery.” The new VR tool will be used to test the efficacy of UCF RESTORES’ exposure therapy treatment in a two-week intensive format as the center launches clinical trials for those suffering from adult-onset PTSD. Following these trials, the goal is to make this cost-efficient system available to trained mental healthclinicians across the nation.
Can we use VR to help increase stress resiliency among first responders during crisis events? Scott Smith, associate professor and director of the Virtual Reality and Technology Lab at Texas State University, believes we can. Smith brings mass casualty virtual reality training to agencies across the country through his start-up company, Augmented Training Systems (ATS). According to Texas State University, Smith reveals, “We built the first VR training for mass casualty triage using the START (Simple Triage and Rapid Transport) Protocol, which is an evidence-based mass casualty training curriculum.” Smith also envisions ATS to be used in other scenarios, including:
- Preparing first responders to interact with individuals who are struggling with mental illness.
- Handling sexual assault cases and suicide prevention in the military.
- Infectious disease response and HAZMAT issues.
- Training police in the use of force and active shooter response.
Smith also states, “I brought the virtual reality lab to Texas State. My intent at the beginning, as a clinician, was to use technology to help people through various treatments and disorders, from addiction to PTSD. From that, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how people interact with simulations, to understand what happens to them in VR simulations, psychologically.” Looking to the future, Smith asks, “Can we use VR to create a place for people to develop coping mechanisms? Or is it a viable option to engage people in a learning process that enhances their functioning in certain spaces? That is what we’re exploring for the future.”
