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The oVRcome app aims to help people overcome phobias such as fear of heights or fear of spiders through the use of VR glasses. The effectiveness of VR in the treatment of various anxiety disorders has previously been demonstrated in a clinical study.
Just put on VR glasses and the next moment you are confronted with your own fear of flying while sitting in an airplane? Or watch a big, hairy spider make its way through the bathroom in 3D, deceptively real? Standing on a cliff, feeling the dizziness that comes from looking down the abyss? The so-called “Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy” (VRET) works with such confrontational scenarios to treat different phobias with the help of VR.
New Zealand researchers and developers have now presented an extensive app for private use, which is intended to help overcome phobias such as fear of flying, fear of heights, fear of needles, dogs and spiders. The app is called oVRcome and is available in all common app stores. It is based on the results of a study carried out at the New Zealand University of Otago, Christchurch, which proves the effectiveness of VR-supported therapy.