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Título del libro: Virtual Reality: Technologies, Medical Applications And Challenges
Título del capítulo: Virtual Reality Ptsd Treatment Program For Civil Victims Of Criminal Violence

Autores UNAM:
MARIA GEORGINA CARDENAS LOPEZ;
Autores externos:

Idioma:
Inglés
Año de publicación:
2014
Palabras clave:

criminal violence victims; Posttraumatic stress disorder; prolonged exposure; virtual reality


Resumen:

Mexico is currently experiencing one of the most violent periods in its recent history: 21.3% of the population over 18 years has been involved in a crime, and 86.3% of the population feels unsafe. In recent years, Mexico has experienced a dramatic increase in violence. The number of homicides, assaults, kidnapping, threats, disappearances, extortions, attacks on civilians, journalists, public officials, human rights advocates, and deaths of bystanders increased substantially. In addition to this dramatic backdrop, the increased violence in the country has generated persistent fear and insecurity among witnesses and survivors, increasing their chances of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Therefore, the need to ensure effective and efficient psychological treatment programs to support this segment of the Mexican population has increased. Currently, there are effective cognitive-behavior therapy treatments for PTSD. These treatments employ exposure techniques that help patients overcome the presence of feared objects or situations related to the traumatic event. Prolonged exposure is the preferred exposure technique for treating PTSD. However, this technique has been used less frequently in clinical treatments. The low success rate can in part be attributed to cognitive avoidance of patients to recall traumatic memories and the difficulty of some patients to effectively engage in imaginal exposure. Virtual Reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a potential tool that permits both patients and therapists more control and better results. This chapter presents two studies that support the dissemination of empirically validated interventions for the treatment of PTSD. Study 1 was a controlled study of virtual reality treatment for PTSD of criminal violence. Twenty victims and witnesses of crime in Ciudad Juarez were randomly assigned to a virtual reality prolonged exposure treatment group or an imaginal prolonged exposure treatment group. Study 2 showed the preliminary VR results of the PTSD treatment for urban crime victims. The study was conducted with 5 victims of assault with violence; express kidnapping and kidnapping in Mexico City. The data confirm that VR prolonged exposure technique was effective in reducing clinical levels of PTSD, and participants reported a preference and acceptance for this innovative intervention. © 2015 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.


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