The Height Of Innovation

Could virtual reality be useful in treating anxiety disorders? Psychologists led by Prof Daniel Freeman of Oxford University are using VR to help people overcome their fear of heights.

What causes a fear of heights?

Prof Daniel Freeman: Some people really overestimate the danger: they think they’re going to fall, throw themselves off [‘the call of the void’] or that a building might collapse. That causes anxiety, it causes people to avoid heights and it can impact on day-to-day life: they can’t walk or drive across bridges or go to meetings high up in office blocks. About one in 20 people have it at the level of phobia, when you’ve had it for at least six months. Vertigo is something different, a balance issue.

Why treat it with virtual reality?

There are some good psychological treatments for mental health problems and if you see a skilled therapist, you can do really well. But it can be hard to find a therapist, so we’re trying to help people via automated virtual reality. The fear of heights programme was our first test.