Table 3.
Potential positive aspects of the use of VR in treatment according to therapists (n = 89) and patients (n = 19).
| Main and sub codes | Definition of code | Totala | Ther.b | Pat.c |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment characteristics | ||||
| Good way to practice | VR is a good way to train behavior in a realistic way | 48 (10%) | 44 (92%) | 4 (8%) |
| Addition to treatment | VR offers new possibilities for and/or works better than current treatment | 36 (8%) | 33 (92%) | 3 (8%) |
| Fit current treatment | VR can be used well within the current way of treating patients | 31 (7%) | 28 (90%) | 3 (10%) |
| Input for conversation | The use of VR can lead to relevant topics for treatment | 21 (5%) | 21 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
| Insight into patient’s behavior | The therapist gains new insights into the patient by observing his behavior in VR | 20 (4%) | 19 (95%) | 1 (5%) |
| Practicing in a safe way | Patients can practice in VR without harming themselves or their environment | 13 (3%) | 13 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
| Patient characteristics | ||||
| Insight into own behavior | The patient becomes more aware of his own behavior and its consequences | 61 (13%) | 50 (82%) | 11 (18%) |
| Improvement future behavior | The use of VR leads to a positive change in the future behavior of the patient | 23 (5%) | 17 (74%) | 6 (26%) |
| Suitable for specific target groups | VR can be used well for specific types of patients | 21 (5%) | 19 (90%) | 2 (10%) |
| Insight into other’s behavior | The patient learns to better understand and interpret the behavior of others | 13 (3%) | 8 (62%) | 5 (38%) |
| Support in reliving situations | VR can be used to help a patient re-experience a specific offense-related scenario | 13 (3%) | 11 (85%) | 2 (15%) |
| Treatment motivation | An increase in motivation to actively participate in treatment because of the use of VR | 9 (2%) | 6 (67%) | 3 (33%) |
| Content | ||||
| Adaptation of scenarios | The content of virtual scenarios can be adapted to the needs of an individual patient | 36 (8%) | 31 (86%) | 5 (14%) |
| Adaptation of environments | The appearance of virtual environments can be adapted to the needs of an individual patient | 31 (7%) | 27 (87%) | 4 (13%) |
| Realism of behavior | Behavior of and interaction between virtual people seem realistic to the user | 23 (5%) | 22 (96%) | 1 (4%) |
| Adaptation of persons | The appearance of virtual people can be adapted to the needs of an individual patient | 21 (5%) | 17 (81%) | 4 (19%) |
| Practical | ||||
| Visual realism | Environments and people in VR look similar to environments and people in real life | 29 (6%) | 28 (97%) | 1 (3%) |
| New technology | VR offers a possibility to use new, innovative technology within treatment | 17 (4%) | 9 (53%) | 8 (47%) |
| Total | 466 (100%) | 403 (86%) | 63 (14%) |
aThe total number of times a code was mentioned in all answers together, and (#%) the percentage of the total number of all 466 codes. bThe number of times a code was mentioned by a therapist, and (#%) the percentage of the total number of times the code was mentioned by therapists and patients. cThe number of times a code was mentioned by a patient, and (#%)the percentage of the total number of times the code was mentioned by therapists and patients.