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Virtual Reality Applications for the Assessment and Treatment of PTSD

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Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continues to be a significant issue for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan combat environments. A growing literature has now evolved that supports the idea that Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) may be a useful approach for addressing this healthcare challenge. This chapter will describe the history and implementation of the Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan system (now referred to as BRAVEMIND) for the delivery of VRET for PTSD in United States Service Members and Veterans. The original VR system, implemented in 2007, was rebuilt in 2013 using the latest available software and it leveraged feedback from clinical users of the first system to inform its design. The BRAVEMIND content and functionality was also expanded to support the specific VRET needs of combat medics/corpsmen and persons who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). The chapter presents the context, rationale, and the early research with phobias that informed the development of these VR systems. It also reviews the literature applying the system for the treatment of PTSD and discusses new research efforts on the use of this software for the assessment of PTSD.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For an extensive collection of videos on this project (simulation videos, patient interviews, media reports), the reader is directed to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQrbzaW3x9wWoZPl4-l4GSA

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Albert Rizzo

  2. Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Michael J. Roy

  3. Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Playa Vista, CA, USA

    Arno Hartholt

  4. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Michelle Costanzo

  5. Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, MD, USA

    Krista Beth Highland

  6. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Decatur, GA, USA

    Tanja Jovanovic

  7. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Seth D. Norrholm

  8. Psychiatry, Long Beach VA Medical Center, Long Beach, CA, USA

    Chris Reist

  9. Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and Trauma and Anxiety Recovery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Barbara Rothbaum

  10. Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    JoAnn Difede

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  1. Albert Rizzo
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  2. Michael J. Roy
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  3. Arno Hartholt
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  4. Michelle Costanzo
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  5. Krista Beth Highland
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  6. Tanja Jovanovic
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  7. Seth D. Norrholm
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  8. Chris Reist
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  9. Barbara Rothbaum
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  10. JoAnn Difede
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Albert Rizzo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for National Strategic Studies, Center for Technology and National Security Policy, National Defense University, Washington, DC, USA

    Stephen V. Bowles

  2. Institute for National Strategic Studies, Center for Technology and National Security Policy, National Defense University, Washington, DC, USA

    Paul T. Bartone

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Rizzo, A. et al. (2017). Virtual Reality Applications for the Assessment and Treatment of PTSD. In: Bowles, S., Bartone, P. (eds) Handbook of Military Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66192-6_27

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