Virtual Worlds Technology

Virtual worlds technologies are potential solutions to some barriers to care faced by post-combat Service Members (SMs), such as perceived stigma and physical access issues. June's webinar will highlight various virtual worlds including T2’s Psychological Health region in Second Life®. This region includes several ongoing projects dedicated to improving the psychological health of SMs through immersive, interactive psycho-educational experiences, increased social interactions, provider training and support, and therapeutic interventions. Features discussed will include the “Virtual PTSD Experience,” in which users learn through an immersive simulation about common causes of and reactions to trauma; provider training and support tools; and the “Virtual Reality (VR) Exposure Deck” as a possible platform for VR-augmented exposure therapy. Challenges and future directions will be discussed.

Kevin M. Holloway, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2). He serves as the lead and subject matter expert of T2’s virtual worlds project. Additionally, he is an Associate Investigator on a number of current studies, including a randomized, controlled trial comparing the ecacy of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy to Prolonged Exposure for the treatment of combat-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Webinar Presentation

Virtual Worlds Technology for Psychological Health - JUN 2010