Virtuality technologies in mental healthcare: The medical metaverse of tomorrow - PhDData

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Virtuality technologies in mental healthcare: The medical metaverse of tomorrow

The thesis was published by Turbyne, C.A., in January 2022, University of Amsterdam.

Abstract:

The aim of this thesis is to argue for the continued development of virtuality technologies within clinical healthcare settings. Rather than focus on virtuality applications for one specific clinical condition, this thesis presents evidence from several different, etiologically distinct, clinical conditions. Moreover, it also explores the use of virtuality applications in healthy, non-clinical, individuals. The purpose of such an approach seeks to convey the breadth of the unique advantages that virtuality technologies offer and how they can be used to help solve specific, complex, clinical problems that other approaches cannot optimally or altogether account for. The asset of virtuality applications for exposure is explored in Part I. Inspired by both the current ethical limitations and clinical shortcomings surrounding the disorder of BIID, we developed an application that utilised an augmented reality telepresence for these individuals in order to explore how being embodied in their idealised body affects their current clinical symptoms. The potential of body ownership manipulation was further explored in a meta-analysis that sought to establish the clinical utility of body illusions for individuals with body image disturbances. Part II of this thesis explores the asset of distraction. This work further explores a class of virtuality techniques known as body illusions by comparing how different perspectives influence the experience of acute pain. Finally, in Part III, we consider the current limitations precluding these technologies from mainstream use in mental healthcare settings and offer suggestions for how to best approach these issues.



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