An Immersive Virtual Reality Peer Support Application for Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder: Development and Initial Evaluation

项目总结 吸毒过量是美国的主要死亡原因，约有7.2万人死亡 2017年因吸毒过量而死亡。其中许多死亡发生在有阿片类药物使用障碍(OUD)的个人身上， 这是当今美国面临的最大的公共卫生问题之一。数字恢复支持 包括同伴支持、心理教育和其他持续护理服务在内的服务(DRS)具有 有可能绕过激动剂药物治疗和传统药物治疗带来的许多限制 对OUD的心理社会干预。DRS具有高度可访问性，并提供对对等设备的持续访问 支持通过帮助个人与支持药物使用的同龄人断绝联系来影响康复结果，并 与支持复苏的同行建立联系。拟议项目的目标是探索一种新的 一种身临其境的数字恢复支持服务，提供实时、同步的基于对等的社交 为阿片类药物使用障碍患者提供虚拟现实(VR)支持。这个项目将涉及两个 主要目标：(1)通过最初的验收和可用性测试，开发出最低限度可行的产品 接受药物辅助治疗的患者，以及(2)评估干预对 耐心的情绪和感受到的社会支持。这种新型的VR应用程序可能会帮助在家的个人 在复发风险的时刻，允许他们(在他们自己的脑海中)“离开”一个潜在的挑战性或 而不是沉浸在一个注重恢复的社交世界中。如果有效，这将是 干预可能有助于抗击阿片类药物危机，拯救数千美国人的生命。

PROJECT SUMMARY Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in the United States with approximately 72,000 people dying from drug overdose in 2017. Many of these fatalities occurred in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), which is one of the greatest public health issues confronting the United States today. Digital Recovery Support Services (DRSs) that include peer support, psychoeducation, and other continuing care services, have the potential to circumvent many of the limitations attendant with agonist medication treatment and traditional psychosocial interventions for OUD. DRSs are highly accessible and provide continuous access to peer support to influence recovery outcomes by helping individuals break ties to pro-substance-use peers and establish ties to pro-recovery-peers. The goal of the proposed project is to explore the feasibility of a new type of immersive Digital Recovery Support Service that delivers live, synchronous peer-based social support in virtual reality (VR) for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder. This project will involve two primary aims: (1) to develop a minimum viable product through initial acceptance and usability testing with 30 OUD patients receiving medication assisted treatment, and (2) to assess the impact of the intervention on patient mood and perceived social support. This new type of VR application may help individuals at home during moments of relapse risk, allowing them to “leave” (in their own minds) a potentially challenging or triggering environment and instead become immersed in a recovery-focused social world. If effective, this intervention could help to combat the opioid crisis and save the lives of thousands of Americans.