About VRforDrugRehabilitation
According to the Council of Europe latest report, there are around 1.6 million people under the supervision or care of the probation services in Europe, representing an average rate of 219 probationers per 100.000 inhabitants. It is well documented the high prevalence of drug use among probationers and the wider offender population. In fact, a large proportion of people who come into contact with the criminal justice system has a history of drug use and many continue to use drugs while imprisoned, switching to more harmful patterns of drug use in some cases.
Research also shows that ex-inmates return to environments that strongly trigger relapse to drug use and put them at risk of overdose. For these reasons, prison and probation contexts are important settings for the provision of responses that address drug use and its harms to health.
In terms of treatment options, research shows that new technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), augmented reality, hold promise in supporting individuals in substance misuse treatment and rehabilitation. VR – immersive, multi-sensory and viewer-centred three-dimensional computer-generated environments – is gaining considerable attention as a research, education, and treatment tool.
One of VR’s potentials is to expand the cue reactivity methodology. This phenomenon is known in the field as cue reactivity, often used to expose users to their addiction product/stimuli in order to measure their craving level, psychology and mood states at the moment of exposure. However, traditional cue methods present limitations.
By using VR technology, these limitations can be effectively addressed and probationers in need of rehabilitation are repeatedly exposed to cues and stimuli, encouraging them to ignore the craving response or use coping responses. Therefore, the potential of this project is emphasized by the innovative approach adopted to the use of VR technology in the substance misuse rehabilitation field.
Research also shows that ex-inmates return to environments that strongly trigger relapse to drug use and put them at risk of overdose. For these reasons, prison and probation contexts are important settings for the provision of responses that address drug use and its harms to health.
In terms of treatment options, research shows that new technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), augmented reality, hold promise in supporting individuals in substance misuse treatment and rehabilitation. VR – immersive, multi-sensory and viewer-centred three-dimensional computer-generated environments – is gaining considerable attention as a research, education, and treatment tool.
One of VR’s potentials is to expand the cue reactivity methodology. This phenomenon is known in the field as cue reactivity, often used to expose users to their addiction product/stimuli in order to measure their craving level, psychology and mood states at the moment of exposure. However, traditional cue methods present limitations.
By using VR technology, these limitations can be effectively addressed and probationers in need of rehabilitation are repeatedly exposed to cues and stimuli, encouraging them to ignore the craving response or use coping responses. Therefore, the potential of this project is emphasized by the innovative approach adopted to the use of VR technology in the substance misuse rehabilitation field.
Project's objectives
VRforDrugRehabilitation “Developing and Using Virtual Reality Technology for Rehabilitation of Drug Users in Probation Service” aims to develop a Virtual Reality (VR) technology tool for substance misuse treatment among people (between the age of 18 and 30) who are under the supervision or care of the probation services.
By doing this, the project seeks to decrease drug use and associated harms among a vulnerable young population group (probationers) by developing and testing an innovative drug treatment programme.
The project also aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of capacity building programmes within probation services and to expand the project’s results which will be obtained after the pilot activities.
By doing this, the project seeks to decrease drug use and associated harms among a vulnerable young population group (probationers) by developing and testing an innovative drug treatment programme.
The project also aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of capacity building programmes within probation services and to expand the project’s results which will be obtained after the pilot activities.
VRforDrugRehabilitation project seeks to develop and implement an innovative rehabilitation model for probationers who have experienced substance misuse problems by using VR technology.
The specific goals of the project are to:
The specific goals of the project are to:
- Identify best practice of methodologies on drug addiction rehabilitation and collect evidence on how VR technology has proven to be an effective tool for treatment;
- Adapt VR scenarios to the project’s target group and context as an additional tool to cue exposure therapy, that will be part of the innovative rehabilitation model;
- Pilot the training programme in each partner country;
- Develop an assessment tool to follow-up VR sessions and test the treatment effects among probationers;
- Develop and pilot a training programme for probation experts/officers who are youth workers (psychologist, social workers, teachers and sociologists), so they can deliver the VR drug treatment programme;
- Run seminars to disseminate the project and share the results of the piloted VR treatment sessions;
- Define new standards for technology techniques in the field of drug addiction rehabilitation in the probation system in European countries and all over the world;
- Maximise the internal resources and intervention processes of the partner organisations and stakeholders;
- Increase the offer of rehabilitation treatment programmes available for probationers.