The AVATAR2 trial, the largest study of avatar therapy to date, shows promising results for reducing auditory hallucinations in patients with psychosis. The therapy allows patients to interact with a computer-generated avatar representing the voice they hear. Results show that patients who received personalized dialogues based on their life history, in addition to treatment as usual, had significantly greater improvement in distress and voice severity. The extended therapy version outperformed the brief therapy version in terms of clinical impact. Despite some limitations, this therapy shows potential for revolutionizing mental health interventions, with plans to expand its availability internationally.
Source link