Effective treatments for PTSD
PTSD is a serious mental illness and its treatment requires the use of scientifically sound methods. According to the Unified Clinical Protocol for the Treatment of PTSD, psychotherapy should be the main method of treating PTSD. At the same time, the use of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), prolonged exposure (PE), along with DPRO, is mandatory for healthcare institutions that provide secondary (specialized) and tertiary (highly specialized) medical care.
The innovative method of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a more technological and effective continuation of classical EP and TF-CBT and opens up new possibilities in the treatment of PTSD.
CBT involves changing the patient’s negative thoughts and behavioral reactions to traumatic experiences. In TF, CBT focuses directly on the trauma, helping the patient to review their fears and negative memories in a controlled therapeutic environment. This approach aims to gradually reduce the level of anxiety associated with traumatic memories.
Innovative VRET method
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) is an innovative method that helps patients with PTSD gradually experience traumatic events in a safe environment. The Oculus Quest helmet with special software creates a virtual environment with controlled triggers that recreate situations associated with the trauma. A psychotherapist or psychiatrist monitors the patient’s condition and adjusts the intensity of the triggers depending on the patient’s reaction.
This approach allows patients to gradually reduce their emotional response to the trauma, which promotes desensitization and facilitates the integration of difficult memories into life without stressful consequences.
Effectiveness of the VRET method
To confirm the effectiveness of VRET in the treatment of PTSD, many months of research were conducted by leading scientific and medical institutions, for example, the Educational and Scientific Institute of Mental Health of the O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University, the Kyiv Regional Psychiatric and Narcological Medical Association (Glevakha).
The results of these studies demonstrate the high effectiveness of VRET compared to traditional methods of PTSD therapy.
Specialist training
Highly qualified specialists are needed for effective treatment of PTSD using the method. Currently, there is an acute shortage of such specialists, which is a major problem given the scale of mental disorders caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The use of ineffective methods or attempts to treat PTSD by unqualified specialists can have serious negative consequences. Patients can visit psychologists for years without noticeable progress or stop treatment altogether.
Therefore, it is very important to create a system of training specialists in scientifically based methods of treating PTSD, especially the innovative VRET technology.
Together with our partner, the Educational and Scientific Institute of Mental Health of the Bogomolets National Medical University, we plan to organize training programs for doctors and psychotherapists that will allow them to master the most effective method of VRET today.