I’m standing on the 100th floor of a building in the central business district. Up here, I can hear the wind whistling, with the muted sounds of traffic below. My high vantage point means that I can see the rooftops of neighbouring skyscrapers. If I tip my legs over the edge, the fall will most likely be fatal. If I had a fear of heights, this location would trigger my anxiety.
But despite the sensations, I’m actually safe. Physically, I’m not on a precarious ledge. I’m sitting in an office chair at Olive Branch Psychology & Therapy Clinic in Singapore, immersed in a therapy session wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset. The session is facilitated by centre director and psychologist Sam Roberts.
While using VR for entertainment isn’t out of the ordinary, its application is increasingly extending beyond leisure – it’s now becoming a popular modality for mental health care.
When utilised effectively, these computer-simulated worlds offer a profound form of treatment for many mental health conditions. A number of studies have shown that VR therapy is linked to reduced symptom severity in both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and it has demonstrated significant promise in providing pain
