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TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED TO DATE
$650,108
55
Assessments
3
People trained
99
Patients served
Program overview
McMaster Children’s Hospital is implementing a pilot program that uses virtual reality (VR) to deliver cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Research demonstrates that exposure-based interventions are effective in helping with recovery from mental health difficulties. Research also indicates that integrating virtual reality into treatment is an effective way to provide exposure therapy. Combining these insights, McMaster Children’s Hospital is exploring the use of VR in the treatment of children and youth.
Using Virtual Reality to Deliver CBT
Exposure treatment can be difficult to implement. For example, for patients who fear weather events we often have to rely on videos, which are less effective than real-life exposures. In this pilot, virtual reality will expose patients to difficult experiences in immersive but controlled ways, and help them practice related strategies.
How Family of Support Funding Has Helped
Family of Support funds have helped to:
- Enable the purchase of VR-related technology, including software, headsets, and an app.
- Support the collection of data to shape treatment, enabling care teams to note how long a user engaged in the exposure, for example, and to gather physiological data to evaluate user responses.
