The Guardian has recently published a long read on avatar therapy for hearing voices. This explains the background to avatar therapy, shares a case example and provides updates on recent findings.
Avatar therapy uses software to create an animated avatar representing a distressing voice. The avatar is then used in the therapy sessions to build people's confidence in interacting with the voice and help them to gain more control over these experiences.
This article follows publication of the British AVATAR 2 trial which looked at a brief (7 therapy sessions) and extended (13 therapy sessions) versions of avatar therapy. The trial found that both versions of avatar therapy led to reductions in the distress people experience in relation to their voices, in comparison to treatment as usual. It also found that the overall severity of the voices that people experienced reduced, in comparison to treatment as usual.
The trial also followed people up three months after completing therapy. People continued to show improvement, but the findings were less clearcut at this time point because everyone saw a significant improvement (i.e. those in both versions of the avatar and the treatment as usual groups).
Another team in Denmark have also just completed a similar trial, CHALLENGE, exploring an immersive form of avatar therapy with VR headsets. In their trial the avatar is in 3D, whereas in other trials the avatar is in 2D. They have also recently published a pre-print of their findings. Please note that this report is preliminary; it has not yet been published in a journal or peer reviewed by independent scientists. The Danish team also found that the immersive form of avatar therapy was effective in comparison to supportive counselling.
These new results are very promising, and suggest that avatar therapy is an effective treatment for people who hear voices. However, it is important to note that in both the AVATAR 2 and CHALLENGE trials the effect sizes of the benefits that people experienced were not quite as large as in the original AVATAR trial. The benefits appear to be similar to standard therapy for voices (a specialist form of cognitive behavioural therapy).
It is now increasingly important to consider advantages avatar therapy may have over standard therapy. This is what our trial, AMETHYST, is doing by comparing avatar therapy with standard therapy for voices.
Our trial will provide important information on how avatar therapy compares with current best practice therapy: is it more effective? What are people's experiences of avatar therapy relative to usual therapy? And can we uncover characteristics of voices that inform how to choose which therapy to use for who? AMETHYST is also exploring how feasible it is to deliver these therapies via telehealth, which will help to scale up and increase access across Australia.
We are currently recruiting and accepting referrals or self registrations now. Please check out our About pages for more information.
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