The use of Virtual Reality to facilitate mindfulness skills training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A case study.

Frontiers in Psychology

Azucena Garcia-Palacios¹  Maria V Nararro-Haro³  Wadee Alhalabi⁴  Hunter G. Hoffman⁵  Karyn Hall⁶  Mariana Sampaio⁸  Marsha Linehan⁹ 

[1] Ciber Bisiopatologia Obesidad y Nutricion;Effat University;Hospital General de Catalunya,;King Abdulaziz University;Shriners Hospitals for Children:Galveston;The DBT Center of Houston;Universitat Jaume I;University of Washington Seattle;University of Washington;

关键词: Emotion Regulation;    mindfulness;    virtual reality;    borderline personality;    dialectical behavioral therapy;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01573

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by a dysfunctional pattern of affective instability, impulsivity, and disturbed interpersonal relationships.Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT®) is the most effective treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, but demand for DBT® far exceeds existing clinical resources. Most patients with BPD never receive DBT®.Incorporating computer technology into the DBT® could help increase dissemination.Immersive Virtual Reality technology (VR) is becoming widely available to mainstream consumers.This case study explored the feasibility/clinical potential of using immersive virtual reality technology to enhance DBT® mindfulness skills training of a 32 year old female diagnosed with BPD.Prior to using VR, the patient experienced difficulty practicingDBT® mindfulness due to her emotional reactivity, and difficulty concentrating.To help the patient focus her attention, and to facilitate DBT® mindfulness skills learning, the patient looked into virtual reality goggles, and had the illusion of slowly floating down a 3D computer-generated river while listening to DBT® mindfulness training audios.Urges to suicide, self-harm, urges to quit therapy, urges to use substances, and negative emotions were all reduced after each VR mindfulness session.VR mindfulness was well accepted/liked by the patient, and increased positive emotions.Although case studies are scientifically inconclusive by nature, results from this feasibility study were encouraging.Future controlled studies are needed to quantify whether VR-enhanced mindfulness training has long term benefits e.g., increasing patient acceptance and/or improving therapeutic outcome.Computerizing some of the DBT® skills treatment modules would reduce cost and increase dissemination.

【 授权许可】

Unknown