Virtual reality intervention effects on future self-continuity and delayed reward preference in substance use disorder recovery: pilot study results.

ABSTRACT: Sustained remission from substance use disorder (SUD) is challenged by high relapse rates, which provides opportunities for novel clinical interventions. Immersive virtual reality (VR) permits delivering synthetic experiences that feel real and actualizes otherwise impossible scenarios for therapeutic benefit. We report on the feasibility of an immersive VR intervention designed to increase valuation of the future by enhancing future self-continuity and leveraging future self-discrepancy with personalized future selves as SUD recovery support. Twenty-one adults in early SUD recovery (< 1 year) interacted with versions of themselves age-progressed fifteen years from two different behavioral trajectories: an SUD Future Self and a Recovery Future Self. The future selves' interactive monologs

SUBMITTER: Shen YI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9477176 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature