Department of Mental Health, Naval Medical Center-San Diego, San Diego, California 92134, USA.
Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2010 Feb;13(1):37-42. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2009.0346.
Exposure therapy (ET) has been observed to be an effective modality for the treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recently, efforts have been made to use virtual reality (VR) to enhance outcome with modes of ET. How such therapy applies to service members who are facing the reality of a combat deployment has been unknown. This case series documents the first use of VR-based therapy to the treatment of PTSD in a combat theater. Results of therapy are reported from a mental health clinic in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. Combat PTSD constituted a relatively small percentage of overall mental health patients seen. Those who did present with PTSD were offered VR-based ET or traditional ET. Patients who received either treatment modality showed significant gains, and no service member in treatment had to be medically evacuated because of ongoing PTSD symptoms. This demonstrates that ET, with or without the use of VR, can be an effective means of helping service members with mental health issues while they serve in theater.
暴露疗法（ET）已被观察到是治疗与战斗相关的创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的有效方式。最近，人们努力使用虚拟现实（VR）来增强 ET 的模式的效果。这种疗法如何适用于面临战斗部署现实的服务成员尚不清楚。本病例系列记录了在战斗地区首次使用基于 VR 的治疗来治疗 PTSD。伊拉克费卢杰营地的心理健康诊所报告了治疗结果。PTSD 在接受治疗的整体心理健康患者中所占比例相对较小。那些确实患有 PTSD 的人提供了基于 VR 的 ET 或传统 ET。接受任何治疗方式的患者都有明显的改善，而且没有任何接受治疗的服务成员因为持续的 PTSD 症状而需要因伤被医疗后送。这表明，ET，无论是否使用 VR，都是帮助在战区服役的服务成员解决心理健康问题的有效手段。
