Potential use of virtual reality technologies for opioid use disorder treatment
Vol 2, Issue 1, 2024
Issue release: 30 March 2024
VIEWS - 731 (Abstract)
Download PDF
Abstract
The opioid epidemic is a serious national public health crisis. Although effective medications are available to treat opioid use disorder, there are low rates of uptake and treatment retention. To mitigate these problems, novel engineering devices, such as using virtual reality (VR), warrant examination. Certain opioid use disorder (OUD) populations may especially benefit from virtual reality to assist with treatment initiation and retention, such as incarcerated persons living in pre-release facilities, adolescents and young adults, and patients of methadone treatment facilities. However, prior to implementing VR in research and the community, issues such as side effects (e.g., VR-related nausea) need to be considered. This manuscript provides a brief review, identifies potential OUD-related populations that might most benefit from VR, and discusses considerations needing addressing prior to widescale implementation of VR for OUD.
Keywords
References
1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioid Overdose Crisis. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Available online: https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis (accessed on 9 March 2021).
2. Sharma A, Kelly SM, Mitchell SG, et al. Update on Barriers to Pharmacotherapy for Opioid Use Disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2017; 19(6). doi: 10.1007/s11920-017-0783-9
3. Staton M, Webster JM, Leukefeld C, et al. Kentucky Women’s Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN): A type 1 effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial to increase utilization of medications for opioid use disorder among justice-involved women. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2021; 128: 108284. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108284
4. Nuamah J, Mehta R, Sasangohar F. Facilitating Management of Opioid Use Disorder: A Review of Mobile Apps and mHealth Tools. JMIR Publications; 2019.
5. Stevanovic I. 30 Virtual Reality Statistics for 2020. KommandoTech. Available online: https://kommandotech.com/statistics/virtual-reality-statistics/ (accessed on 10 March 2021).
6. Rose T, Nam CS, Chen KB. Immersion of virtual reality for rehabilitation - Review. Applied Ergonomics. 2018; 69: 153-161. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2018.01.009
7. Dascal J, Reid M, IsHak WW, et al. Virtual Reality and Medical Inpatients: A Systematic Review of Randomized, Controlled Trials. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2017; 14(1-2): 14-21.
8. Botella C, Quero S, Banos RM, et al. Telepsychology and Self-Help: The Treatment of Phobias Using the Internet. CyberPsychology & Behavior. 2008; 11(6): 659-664. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2008.0012
9. Maples-Keller JL, Bunnell BE, Kim SJ, et al. The Use of Virtual Reality Technology in the Treatment of Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Disorders. Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 2017; 25(3): 103-113. doi: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000138
10. Segawa T, Baudry T, Bourla A, et al. Virtual Reality (VR) in Assessment and Treatment of Addictive Disorders: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2020; 13. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01409
11. Worley J. Virtual Reality for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 2019; 57(6): 15-19. doi: 10.3928/02793695-20190430-01
12. Skeva R, Gregg L, Jay C, et al. Views of Practitioners and Researchers on the Use of Virtual Reality in Treatments for Substance Use Disorders. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021; 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.606761
13. Hamad A, Jia B. How Virtual Reality Technology Has Changed Our Lives: An Overview of the Current and Potential Applications and Limitations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(18): 11278. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811278
14. Romero RA, Young SD. Ethical perspectives in sharing digital data for public health surveillance before and shortly after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ethics & Behavior. 2021; 32(1): 22-31. doi: 10.1080/10508422.2021.1884079
15. Garett R, Young SD. Potential Effects of Digital Inequality on Treatment Seeking for Opioid Use Disorder. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. 2023; 21(2): 890-895. doi: 10.1007/s11469-021-00629-5
16. Kinlock TW, Gordon MS, Schwartz RP, et al. A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: Results at 12 months postrelease. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2009; 37(3): 277-285. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2009.03.002
17. Cates L, Brown AR. Medications for opioid use disorder during incarceration and post-release outcomes. Health & Justice. 2023; 11(1). doi: 10.1186/s40352-023-00209-w
18. Velasquez M, Flannery M, Badolato R, et al. Perceptions of extended-release naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine treatments following release from jail. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. 2019; 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s13722-019-0166-0
19. Hudgins JD, Porter JJ, Monuteaux MC, et al. Prescription opioid use and misuse among adolescents and young adults in the United States: A national survey study. PLOS Medicine. 2019; 16(11): e1002922. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002922
20. Ryan SA, Gonzalez PK, et al. Medication-Assisted Treatment of Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorders. Pediatrics. 2016; 138(3). doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1893
21. Viera A, Bromberg DJ, Whittaker S, et al. Adherence to and Retention in Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among Adolescents and Young Adults. Epidemiologic Reviews. 2020; 42(1): 41-56. doi: 10.1093/epirev/mxaa001
22. Kipping B, Rodger S, Miller K, et al. Virtual reality for acute pain reduction in adolescents undergoing burn wound care: A prospective randomized controlled trial. Burns. 2012; 38(5): 650-657. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2011.11.010
23. Kahlon S, Lindner P, Nordgreen T. Virtual reality exposure therapy for adolescents with fear of public speaking: a non-randomized feasibility and pilot study. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 2019; 13(1). doi: 10.1186/s13034-019-0307-y
24. Othman Z, Abdul Gani F. Attendance at Counseling Sessions Predicts Good Treatment Response in Methadone Maintenance Therapy. International Medical Journal. 2017; 24: 21-23. doi: 10.5281/ZENODO.2588068
25. Reisinger HS, Schwartz RP, Mitchell SG, et al. Premature Discharge from Methadone Treatment: Patient Perspectives. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 2009; 41(3): 285-296. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2009.10400539
26. Office of Inspector General. Opioid Treatment Programs Reported Challenges Encountered During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Actions Taken to Address Them. Available online: https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region9/92001001.pdf (accessed on 9 March 2021).
27. Sampaio M, Navarro Haro MV, De Sousa B, et al. Therapists Make the Switch to Telepsychology to Safely Continue Treating Their Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Virtual Reality Telepsychology May Be Next. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. 2021; 1. doi: 10.3389/frvir.2020.576421
28. Castilla D, Garcia-Palacios A, Bretón-López J, et al. Process of design and usability evaluation of a telepsychology web and virtual reality system for the elderly: Butler. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. 2013; 71(3): 350-362. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2012.10.017
29. Sharples S, Cobb S, Moody A, et al. Virtual reality induced symptoms and effects (VRISE): Comparison of head mounted display (HMD), desktop and projection display systems. Displays. 2008; 29(2): 58-69. doi: 10.1016/j.displa.2007.09.005
30. Hassani M, Young SD. An Evaluation of the User Experience and Privacy Concerns of Individuals Misusing Opioids Using a Location Tracking Mobile Application. Substance Use & Misuse. 2023; 59(3): 336-342. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2270583
31. Garett R, Cumberland WG, Chakravarthy B, et al. A qualitative exploration of the potential role of using online social media support communities to increase initiation of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). Journal of Substance Use. 2023; 28(6): 880-886. doi: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2098846
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Renee Garett, Sean D. Young
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Prof. Maode Ma
Qatar University, Qatar
Processing Speed (2023)
-
-
-
-
-
- ＜7 days: submission to screening review decision
- 48 days: received to accepted
- 59 days: received to online
-
-
-
-
The field of computer and telecommunications engineering is rapidly advancing, with the following being some of the latest developments.
more
We are pleased to congratulate the first anniversiry of the journal of Computer and Telecommunication Engineering (CTE).
more
Owing to the tireless dedication of the editor-in-chief, editorial board members, and the in-house editorial team, we are proud to announce the successful online launch of the first issue of Computer and Telecommunication Engineering.
Please follow the journal's author guidelines and the new article template to prepare your manuscript.
Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd. (APACSCI) specializes in international journal publishing. APACSCI adopts the open access publishing model and provides an important communication bridge for academic groups whose interest fields include engineering, technology, medicine, computer, mathematics, agriculture and forestry, and environment.