Kocur, Martin and Dechant, Martin and Wolff, Christian and Nothdurfter, Caroline and Wetter, Thomas C. and Rupprecht, Rainer and Shiban, Youssef (2021) Computer-Assisted Avatar-Based Treatment for Dysfunctional Beliefs in Depressive Inpatients: A Pilot Study. FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY, 12: 608997. ISSN 1664-0640,
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Dysfunctional cognitions are a crucial part of depression. Cognitive therapy aims to modify dysfunctional beliefs. Typically, dysfunctional beliefs are questioned, and patients are trained to think of alternative functional beliefs. We developed a computer-assisted, avatar-based adjunct for cognitive therapy that aims to reduce dysfunctional beliefs and symptom severity. Besides, it aims to promote alternative functional beliefs. In a randomized controlled trial with 34 patients diagnosed with major depression currently undergoing inpatient treatment at the university psychiatric hospital in Regensburg, Germany, participants were randomly assigned to receive either treatment as usual (TAU) or computer-assisted avatar-based treatment for dysfunctional beliefs (CAT-DB) in addition to TAU. In CAT-DB participants are faced with a virtual avatar expressing their personal dysfunctional beliefs. Participants are asked to contradict these and express alternative functional beliefs. Assessments of conviction of dysfunctional beliefs, functional beliefs and symptom severity were done shortly before the intervention (pre-treatment), right after the intervention (post-treatment) and 14 days later (follow-up). The reduction in conviction of dysfunctional beliefs and symptom severity, and the increase in conviction of alternative functional beliefs at post-treatment and follow-up were significantly greater for the group receiving CAT-DB. Our study provides an indication in favor of the effectiveness of CAT-DB for depressive patients. It is a simple tool that could support classical cognitive therapy. Further studies at different centres, with larger sample sizes and varying therapeutic contexts are required to prove the effectiveness of our intervention.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | EXPOSURE THERAPY; VIRTUAL-REALITY; COGNITIVE THERAPY; ANXIETY; PSYCHOTHERAPY; SYSTEM; STATE; modification of dysfunctional beliefs; cognitive therapy; avatar therapy; virtual avatar; depression |
| Subjects: | 000 Computer science, information & general works > 004 Computer science 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie Languages and Literatures > Institut für Information und Medien, Sprache und Kultur (I:IMSK) > Lehrstuhl für Medieninformatik (Prof. Dr. Christian Wolff) Informatics and Data Science > Lehrstuhl für Medieninformatik (Prof. Dr. Christian Wolff) |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Aug 2022 13:08 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2022 13:08 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/46040 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
