Virtual reality could help kids overcome their fear of needles – Stuff.co.nz
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If pricks give you the willies, virtual reality might help.
Jabs aren’t so fab for some kids, but help is on the way through virtual reality.
Christchurch company oVRcome, of which software developer Adam Hutchinson is the sole director and major shareholder, has launched a programme that uses virtual reality to expose children and adolescents to their fears including needles.
Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a situation or experience that can be interacted with through special electronic equipment such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.
Medsafe has approved the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old, and vaccinations will begin for them in mid-January.
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Started in early 2021, the oVRcome programme has already been used to treat fears in adults including social anxiety, public speaking, flying and spiders.
Christchurch-based clinical psychologist Catherine Gallagher, a specialist in treating anxiety in children and adolescents, has worked on the programme with Hutchinson and believes in facing fears, rather than avoiding them.
“[Virtual reality] is a great way to expose people to a variety of information and environments that aid their understanding of anxiety and teach them skills to stand up to it,” she said.
“Accessing resources in either the public or private sector has become increasingly difficult and so programmes like this allow people to virtually step into this therapeutic space in a supported and safe way without having to wait until things have escalated to really problematic levels.”
Daniel Schaefer/AP
Ouch! Try a dose of virtual reality.
Children underwent a psycho-educational component before beginning the virtual reality programme.
Gallagher said children gained knowledge, understanding and coping skills through learning why they were afraid and giving them the …….