JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In-vivo exposure therapy (IVET) is the most effective treatment for phobias but is often impractical. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) can overcome critical barriers to IVET; however, the landscape of accessible software related to VRET is not well understood.

Objective:

The purpose of our study is to describe the landscape of publicly available smartphone apps with potential utility for clinical VRET.

Methods:

We conducted a content analysis of publicly available smartphone apps related to “virtual reality” on Google Play and Apple App stores as of March 2020.

Results:

The initial search resulted in 529 apps, with 84 apps (52 Google, 32 Apple) included for analysis. The most common phobic stimulus depicted was Water (25/84, 29.8%), followed by heights (24/84, 28.6%), and animals (23/84, 27.4%). More than half of the apps were visually abstract (39/84, 53.5%). Most apps were free to download (48/84, 57.1%). In both stores, average app rating was 2.9 out of 5 stars but the number of ratings ranged from 0 - 49233. None of the 84 apps advertised HIPAA compliance, offered the ability to monitor data, provided clinician control over variables in the app experiences, or explicitly stated use by or development with clinicians.

Conclusions:

Most publicly available apps were not considered relevant for clinical VRET, but 17 of the 84 included apps were ideal candidates to investigate further as part of treatment. Most of these apps were visually abstract and free to use, making them accessible to clinicians and flexible as part of exposure hierarchies. However, none of the apps were designed for clinical use nor do they provide tools for clinician control. Future research is needed to understand the effects of photorealistic VR experiences on clinical outcomes, as well as clinicians’ evaluations of apps for treatment potential.