BUas develops VR tool to resist alcohol temptation during festive season

Breaking the isolation cycle

For many people recovering from alcohol addiction, the festive season in December presents a difficult challenge. The social context brings with it increased anxiety and risk of relapse. This can lead to isolation: parties and family gatherings are avoided, which in turn can lead to alcohol consumption. Research shows that 47-75% of patients fall back within a year of clinical treatment.

Virtual humans as a social safety net 

The RECOVRY project tackles this by training people in Virtual Reality settings to say no to alcohol temptation. “We have used VR environments such as a bar, objects such as glasses of alcohol and people to simulate situations that trigger craving. Augmented Reality also allows these triggers to appear in patients' living rooms. This enables them, in their own safe environment, to practise saying no in the real world,” explains BUas Professor Marnix van Gisbergen. “We are also investigating the degree of reality required and which forms of VR are most effective for treatment and prevention.”

Dr. Victor Buwalda, psychiatrist and former medical director at Novadic-Kentron: "The RECOVRY application combines traditional Cue Exposure Therapy with new VR and AR technologies. This takes place in three phases: from implementation within the clinical setting, assistance with a therapist outside the clinic, to prevention at home without a therapist. We have successfully tested the application both with clients undergoing treatment at Novadic-Kentron, one of the largest regional institutions for addiction treatment in the Netherlands, and preventively with former clients." 

Further development

“Despite successful results, we are not stopping yet,” says Van Gisbergen. "We are expanding the application with more environments, virtual humans, interactions and scenarios. We are also adding other addictions, such as smoking, and new relaxation environments with breathing exercises to help users calm down after the stressful VR exercises”. 

International follow-up steps   

Buwalda: “The initial results show significant improvements in reducing craving and increasing self-confidence. We now want to investigate the long-term effects on relapse in an international context together with BUas, NK and Eindhoven University of Technology.” Van Gisbergen adds: “In addition to cost savings and more effective treatments, we hope, above all, that RECOVRY can combat isolation, so patients in recovery can also spend the festive season with their loved ones”.