{"id":9531,"date":"2024-10-29T15:02:49","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T15:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/29\/digital-avatars-could-help-people-suffering-with-psychosis-stand-up-to-distressing-voices-and-find-peace-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2024-10-29T15:02:49","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T15:02:49","slug":"digital-avatars-could-help-people-suffering-with-psychosis-stand-up-to-distressing-voices-and-find-peace-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/29\/digital-avatars-could-help-people-suffering-with-psychosis-stand-up-to-distressing-voices-and-find-peace-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital avatars could help people suffering with psychosis stand up to distressing voices and find peace, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

People who hear bullying or abusive voices could find peace with the help of therapy using computer-generated avatars, according to new research.<\/p>\n

The digital animations are created by people with psychosis to fit the voices they hear.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

They then role-play with the avatar under the guidance of a therapist, learning to push back against their tormentor.<\/p>\n

A study by clinical psychologists at Kings College London (KCL) shows just a few sessions of avatar therapy reduces both the distress and frequency of the voices.<\/p>\n

Ruth spent more than five years in hospital because of her illness.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

But after therapy with an avatar that she created, she’s now married and about to start a new job.<\/p>\n

“When I hear the voices, I hear them as if they’re standing right behind me, hissing in my ear, making remarks,” she told Sky News.<\/p>\n

She continued: “Sometimes they do a running commentary of everything I’m doing.<\/p>\n

“And other times it’s like they are screaming and yelling directly into my ear. It can be exhausting.<\/p>\n

“When I first started with the avatar it was pretty brutal at times, the stuff it would say.<\/p>\n

“But over time, I learned that I could overpower that voice.”<\/p>\n

‘Face to face’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Therapy begins with people creating a digital avatar to represent the voices they hear.<\/p>\n

They first select the right vocal sound for the avatar.<\/p>\n

Then, in a process similar to building a police identikit image of a suspect, they choose facial features to create an image that fits the voice they hear.<\/p>\n

During therapy, they have a conversation with the avatar, which is under the control of a clinical psychologist, learning to stand up to the distressing voices.<\/p>\n

Dr Tom Ward, a clinical psychologist at KCL, said: “It’s typically a very powerful experience for the person.<\/p>\n

“The voice is something that they might have been avoiding for many years, and they’re coming face to face with it so people can be understandably anxious.<\/p>\n

“The job of the therapist is to make sure that it feels safe enough for them to interact with the avatar.”<\/p>\n

‘Extremely important finding’<\/strong><\/p>\n

A study on 345 people, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in the journal Nature, showed avatar therapy helped to push the voices into the background, allowing them to resume a more normal life.<\/p>\n

Professor Philippa Garety, the lead researcher, said it was the first therapy shown to have a sustained impact on how often people hear voices.<\/p>\n

“This is an extremely important finding,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Hearing fewer voices, less often, or voices going away altogether can have a hugely positive impact on their day-to-day lives.”<\/p>\n

NICE, the authority that regulates treatments on the NHS, has backed the therapy.<\/p>\n

It will now be rolled out to clinics in England for more real-world testing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This post appeared first on sky.com<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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