Background: Fear of flying (FoF) is a phobia with 10-40% prevalence in the industrialized world. FoF is accompanied by severe economic, social, vocational, and emotional consequences. In recent years, virtual reality (VR)-based exposure therapy (VRET) for FoF has been introduced. Positive long-term efficacy of FoF-VRET has been reported by several studies, which, however, were limited by relatively small, non-representative samples and a lack of comparative pre/post functional efficacy outcome measures. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a VERT treatment utilizing a large-scale VR system, experienced by a representative sample of self-referred individuals. Methods: We conducted a retrospective survey. Of 274 individuals who received the treatment (over a period of three years), 214 met inclusion/criteria, and 103 agreed to participate. We mainly collected information regarding flight activity before and after treatment relying on evidence such as boarding passes and flight tickets. The primary outcome measures were: (1) number of flights per month (FpM); (2) number of flight hours per month (FHpM). For each participant, these outcomes were computed for the post-treatment period (>=8805;6 months after FoF-VRET) and the corresponding pre-treatment period. Results: FpM (mean+-SD) increased from .05+-.07 to .16+-.07 flights (p<.0001). FHpM rose from.22+-.41 to .80+-.86 hours per month (p<.0001). Conclusions: These results are indicative of FoF-VRET treatment efficacy. Future studies should evaluate long-term maintenance of the treatment effect and thus identify the optimal frequency for delivery of periodic booster treatments.

中文翻译：

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一项虚拟现实暴露疗法治疗恐惧症的功效：一项回顾性研究

背景：恐惧飞行（FoF）是一种恐惧症，在工业化世界中的流行率高达10-40％。FoF伴随着严重的经济，社会，职业和情感后果。近年来，已引入基于虚拟现实（VR）的FoF暴露疗法（VRET）。多项研究已经报道了FoF-VRET的长期长期阳性疗效，但是受到相对较小，无代表性的样本以及缺乏比较的前/后功能疗效指标的限制。我们的目标是通过自我推荐个体的代表性样本来评估利用大规模VR系统进行的VERT治疗的疗效。方法：我们进行了回顾性调查。在接受治疗的274人中（三年），其中214人符合纳入/标准，另有103人同意参加。我们主要根据登机牌和机票等证据收集治疗前后的航班活动信息。主要的结果衡量指标是：（1）每月飞行次数（FpM）；（2）每月飞行小时数（FHpM）。对于每个参与者，在治疗后时期（> = 8805； FoF-VRET后6个月）和相应的治疗前时期计算出这些结局。结果：FpM（平均+ -SD）从.05 +-。07增加到.16 +-。07航班（p <.0001）。FHpM从每月22 +-。41上升到.80 +-。86小时（p <.0001）。结论：这些结果表明FoF-VRET治疗的有效性。未来的研究应评估治疗效果的长期维持情况，从而确定进行定期加强治疗的最佳频率。