Andrea Gaggioli|Federica Pallavicini|Luca Morganti|Silvia Serino|Chiara Scaratti|Marilena Briguglio|Giulia Crifaci|Noemi Vetrano|Annunziata Giulintano|Giuseppe Massimo Bernava|Gennaro Tartarisco|Giovanni Pioggia|Simona Raspelli|Pietro Cipresso|Cinzia Vigna|Alessandra Grassi|Margherita Baruffi|Brenda K. Wiederhold|Giuseppe Riva
Experiential Virtual Scenarios With Real-Time Monitoring (Interreality) for the Management of Psychological Stress: A Block Randomized Controlled Trial
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|National Research Council|Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano|Virtual Reality Medical Institute|Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore|IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano
recent convergence technology medicine offering innovative methods tools behavioral health care among emerging approach use virtual reality vr within exposurebased protocols anxiety disorders particular posttraumatic stress disorder however systematically tested vr protocols available management psychological stressour goal evaluate efficacy new technological paradigm interreality management prevention psychological stress main feature interreality twofold link virtual real world achieved experiential virtual scenarios fully controlled therapist used learn coping skills improve selfefficacy realtime monitoring support identifying critical situations assessing clinical change using advanced technologies virtual worlds wearable biosensors smartphonesthe study designed block randomized controlled trial involving 121 participants recruited two different worker populationsteachers nursesthat highly exposed psychological stress participants sample teachers recruited milan block 1 n61 sample nurses recruited messina italy block 2 n60 participants within block randomly assigned 1 experimental group eg n40 b120 b220 received 5week treatment based interreality paradigm 2 control group cg n42 b122 b220 received 5week traditional stress management training based cognitive behavioral therapy cbt 3 waitlist group wl n39 b119 b220 reassessed compared two groups 5 weeks initial evaluationalthough treatments able significantly reduce perceived stress better wl eg participants reported significant reduction eg12 vs cg05 chronic trait anxiety similar pattern found coping skills treatments able significantly increase coping skills eg participants reported significant increase eg14 vs cg03 emotional support skillour findings provide initial evidence interreality protocol yields better outcomes traditionally accepted gold standard psychological stress treatment cbt consequently findings constitute sound foundation rationale importance continuing future research technologyenhanced protocols psychological stress managementclinicaltrialsgov nct01683617 httpclinicaltrialsgovshownct01683617 archived webcite httpwwwwebcitationorg6qnzihv3h