Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Games Health J. 2023 Oct;12(5):397-404. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2022.0214. Epub 2023 Jun 9.
Cognitive Behavioral Immersion (CBI) is a novel cognitive-behavioral skills program delivered by lay coaches in the metaverse through immersive virtual reality technology. The objective for this study was to run a feasibility and pilot study of CBI for individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder. Data from 48 participants were used and program usage was assessed. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires assessing affect, perceived online social support, and group therapy alliance throughout their participation in the program. Structured qualitative interviews were also conducted with a subset of participants ( = 11) to understand the feasibility of the novel program. Participants experienced a significant increase in their positive affect and non-significant decrease in their negative affect during their most recently attended session. Participants also experienced a nonsignificant increase in online social support across their participation in the program. Structured qualitative interviews revealed eight primary themes, including both advantages (community, psychoeducational impact, immersion, comparability with other interventions, coping in the pandemic, and anonymity) and areas of improvement (challenges and technological usability) of the program. This study provides preliminary support for the feasibility and potential effects of CBI and its incorporation of lay coaches to lead cognitive-behavioral skills groups in the metaverse. Future research is encouraged to examine the feasibility and efficacy of this program for a broader array of clinical presentations.
认知行为沉浸疗法（CBI）是一种新颖的认知行为技能训练项目，由非专业教练通过沉浸式虚拟现实技术在元宇宙中实施。本研究的目的是对处于物质使用障碍康复期的个体进行 CBI 的可行性和试点研究。使用了 48 名参与者的数据，并评估了项目的使用情况。参与者被要求在参与项目的过程中完成评估情感、感知到的在线社会支持和团体治疗联盟的问卷。还对一部分参与者（n=11）进行了结构化的定性访谈，以了解该新颖项目的可行性。参与者在最近一次参加的课程中体验到积极情感显著增加，消极情感无显著减少。参与者在参与项目的过程中，在线社会支持也有非显著增加。结构化的定性访谈揭示了八个主要主题，包括该项目的优势（社区、心理教育影响、沉浸感、与其他干预措施的可比性、大流行期间的应对、匿名性）和改进领域（挑战和技术可用性）。本研究初步支持 CBI 的可行性和潜在效果，以及其在元宇宙中引入非专业教练来领导认知行为技能小组的做法。鼓励未来的研究来检验该项目在更广泛的临床表现中的可行性和疗效。
