Daniel Freeman: Virtual reality in the assessment, understanding, and treatment of mental health disorders: Lessons learned in a clinical psychologist's journey over twenty years

In this talk, a twenty-year evidence-based programme of work using immersive virtual reality to assess, understand, and treat mental health disorders will be outlined. A chronological presentation of the studies will help show the issues addressed step by step, illustrate how the evolution of the technology has led to greater possibilities, and highlight important areas of focus for the future. VR has extraordinary potential to help people overcome mental health problems because it gets to the heart of successful treatment: making people feel better in everyday life. The case will be made that much greater access to the best psychological treatments can be achieved using automated delivery in virtual reality. With virtual reality simulations, individuals can repeatedly experience their problematic situations and be taught, via evidence- based psychological treatments delivered by a virtual coach, how to overcome difficulties. Importantly, VR therapies need not simply replicate face-to-face therapy but can be used in innovative ways – impossible in the real world - to enhance treatment outcomes.

About Prof. Dr. Daniel Freeman

Daniel Freeman is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and NIHR Senior Investigator at the University of Oxford and a consultant clinical psychologist in Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. Professor Freeman’s research has principally concerned using psychological theory to develop more powerful psychological treatment. He has: advanced the psychological understanding of psychosis; translated these advances into efficacious psychological therapy; and been increasing access to psychological therapy by using virtual reality to deliver treatment automatically. His research expertise cuts across epidemiological studies, development of psychological theory, experimental tests, conducting clinical trials, and implementation of technological advances in the NHS. He founded the University of Oxford spin-out company, Oxford VR. He has published over 300 research papers and 10 books. He is the recipient of the 2020 British Psychological Society Presidents' Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge. He presented the BBC Radio 4 series ‘A history of delusions’.

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Lea Lott
lea.lott@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de

Within

Psychobiologischen Kolloquium
Abteilung für Biologische und Differentielle Psychologie
Prof. M. Heinrichs &
Abteilung für Neuropsychologie
Prof. M. Schönauer