Trial reportBrain and behavior2025
The Effect of Aversive Therapy Using Virtual Reality on Craving, Depression, and Self-Efficacy: A Pilot Study in Patients Under Methadone Maintenance Treatment.
Trial report in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality-based aversion therapy in reducing craving, alleviating depression, and improving self-efficacy in patients with substance use disorders undergoing methadone maintenance therapy.
methodsThe research was conducted as an interventional clinical trial involving 90 participants aged 25 to 55 years from outpatient treatment centers. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a group that received virtual reality-based aversion therapy combined with methadone, a group that received psychological counseling combined with methadone, and a group that received methadone only.
resultsThe findings revealed significant differences between the groups' means for depression (F = 19.652, p = 0.000), self-efficacy (F = 33.956, p = 0.000), and craving (F = 65.445, p = 0.000 for desire and intent to use substances; F = 45.931, p = 0.000 for craving and negative reinforcement; F = 76.202, p = 0.000 for pleasure and intensity of lack of control). Specifically, virtual reality-based aversion therapy significantly reduced the desire and intent to use substances, craving and negative reinforcement, and pleasure and intensity of lack of control compared to both psychological counseling and control groups. It also significantly reduced depression and enhanced self-efficacy compared to both psychological counseling and control groups. This therapy, implemented through Python programming in a virtual reality environment with interactive and controlled simulations, facilitated gradual exposure to negative stimuli, cognitive restructuring, and the reinforcement of positive behaviors.
conclusionThe results underscore the high potential of virtual reality-based aversion therapy to improve the effectiveness and quality of substance abuse treatment. This study emphasizes the necessity of further research in this field to improve therapeutic interventions and presents virtual reality-based aversion therapy as an innovative, complementary, or alternative approach to substance use treatment.
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Registered trials
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