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Abstract
Criminal violence is associated with mental health problems such as depression, substance use and abuse. However, one of most important psychological problems linked with the victims of violence is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). In Mexico, according to the ICESI in 2012, 11% of the population (and 6,800 for each 100,000 inhabitants) over 18 years experienced a crime. One in four of those victims of violence develop PTSD symptoms. Due to this socially relevant problem and based on the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) treatments, it is important to design treatments involving the use of VR because it can help overcome some of the limitations of traditional therapy using exposure. The present study shows preliminary results of efficacy of virtual reality treatment for PTSD and ASD for violent crime. The clinical sample was comprised of 9 participants from city of Mexico, 6 participants with PTSD diagnoses and 3 participants with ASD diagnoses, aged between 18 and 65. All participants gave informed consent to participate. Treatment was delivered in 90 minute individual sessions conducted once a week. Three virtual scenarios for PTSD exposure treatment were used. Improvement was seen in measures of stress, anxiety and depression in both treatment groups, which confirms the clinical efficacy for this technique to treat stress-related disorders.
Keywords: Virtual Reality, PTSD treatment, ASD treatment, violence
Introduction
In Mexico crime rates are extremely high: 21.3% of the population over 18 years has suffered from a crime and 86.3% of the population feels unsafe. In recent years, Mexico experienced a dramatic increase in violence. The number of homicides, assaults, kidnappings, threats, disappearances, extortions, and attacks on civilians, journalists, public officials, human rights advocates, and deaths of bystanders increased substantially. The National Survey of Urban Public Safety (1) reported that in the month of September, 2013, 68% of the population over the age of 18 considered that living in their own town is highly unsafe, because in the last three months they have witnessed and/or heard of alcohol consumption on the streets (70%), victims of theft or robbery (66.2%) and urban vandalism (56.1%); on the other hand, there is a wide variety of factors that children, youth and adults are exposed to, which are highly dangerous, and need...