Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy to treat driving phobia: a case report

An AB case design was used to examine the efficacy of virtual reality expos ure therapy (VRET) in treating driving phobia. After a one week baseline, t he patient received three treatment sessions over a ten day period. Treatme nt included practice of four VR driving scenarios. Peak anxiety decreased w ithin and across sessions. Ratings of anxiety and avoidance declined from p re-treatment and post-treatment, with gains maintained at seven month follo wup. Phobia-related interference in daily functioning similarly decreased. The results suggest that it would be useful to further evaluate the efficac y of VRET for driving phobia in controlled clinical trials. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.