Virtual reality-based cue exposure therapy reduces psychological craving in men with methamphetamine use disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: Reducing psychological craving is critical for preventing relapse in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality (VR)-based cue exposure therapy (CET) and cue exposure with aversion therapy (CETA) in reducing methamphetamine craving in men with MUD. In this randomized controlled trial, 89 men with MUD were assigned to three groups: VR-based cue exposure therapy (CET, n = 30), VR-based cue exposure combined with aversion therapy (CETA, n = 29), and neutral scenes (NS, n = 30). The intervention comprised 16 sessions over 8 weeks. Primary outcomes were tonic craving and cue-induced craving. Secondary outcomes included attentional bias, rehabilitation confidence, drug refusal self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Both CET and CETA groups d

SUBMITTER: Huang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12381153 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature