The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality (VR) Exposure Therapy On Anxiety And Avoidance Symptoms In Male Teenagers, Suffering From Cleaning Disorder

Objective: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of VR exposure therapy on anxiety and avoidance symptoms in male teenagers, suffering from cleaning disorder. Method: The methodology is quasi-experiment with pre- and post-survey design, with a control group and statistical population, including all available persons, who met the cleaning disorder diagnosis criteria and had visited clinical centers for therapy. Findings: ۳۰ teenagers from ۱۶ to ۱۸ years old, suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were chosen according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Fifth Edition (DSM-۵) diagnostic criteria and Yale-Brown OCD scale, which Goodman created in ۱۹۸۶. And they were randomly assigned to test and control groups. In the pre- and post-survey stages all participants answered the Obvious and Hidden Anxiety questionnaire created by Spielberger in ۱۹۷۰, and the avoidance questionnaire, by Young and Rygh in ۱۹۹۴. But only the test group underwent VR exposure therapy for eight ۳۰-minute sessions. The collected data were analyzed, using univariate and multivariate covariance analysis. Conclusion: The results of the analysis showed that VR exposure therapy has been able to reduce the obvious and hidden anxiety and avoidance symptoms in male teenagers from ۱۶ to ۱۸ years old, suffering from a cleaning disorder (P<۰.۰۰۱).  

Keywords:

Cleaning Disorder , Virtual Reality