Virtual Reality to Support Inpatient Addiction Treatment: Patients Are Ready, What About Therapists? A Feasibility Study

This study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers for implementation of virtual reality therapy (VRT), used to train communication and problem-solving skills aiding relapse prevention, when integrated with addiction treatment (Treatment as Usual; TAU). Mixed methods were used in an observational, partly prospective, design. A total of 21 therapists and 113 patients from three inpatient addiction clinics were assessed. Therapists filled in questionnaires to gauge expectancies and experiences regarding facilitators and barriers at baseline, after a try-out period, halfway, and at the end of the pilot lasting 6–12 months. They also participated in focus-group interviews. Patients filled in similar questionnaires before an initial, and after they finished a third, VRT session. In addition, nine patients were interviewed. All VRT sessions were logged, with patients answering additional questions. Acceptability of VRT was high in both groups. It was feasible to integrate VRT with TAU and integration showed potential effectiveness. Barriers included incidental motion sickness, technical difficulties, costs, and device setup time. Both therapists and patients advocated VRT use to augment addiction treatment. Findings suggest a clinical effectiveness study is warranted.