Depression is something that has affected all of us or at least someone we know in one way or another.
There are numerous ways to treat the illness, from therapy to prescribed medicine, but a new study published in the British Journal Of Psychiatry Open has shown that virtual reality may help those struggling to break free from the cycle of depression.
A common trait among those with depression is a lack of compassion shown towards yourself, and this negativity can make the depression more persistent and overwhelming.
The study involved trying the virtual technique challenge with people that were not depressed, and then trying it with 15 people that suffered from the illness. Ten of the patients were taking anti-depressants, one had completed therapy, seven were receiving therapy and seven were waiting to begin therapy.
A technique called embodiment was used where volunteers wore a virtual reality headset to see a life-size avatar that moved in the same way as their body. Participants then showed compassion towards a distressed virtual child, which stopped crying and responded well to the compassion shown.
The volunteers then experienced the scenario from the child’s perspective, listening to the words and gestures they had just used.
According to Medical News Today, nine of the patients reported that their depressive symptoms and level of self-criticism had reduced. For four of these, the reduction was clinically significant.
Participants reported feeling more self-compassion. Perceptions of the scenario were positive, and repeating the sessions helped to deepen some aspects of the experience.
