‘Virtual World’ Helps With Post-traumatic Stress

A virtual Afghan street featured in the T2 Virtual PTSD Experience, based in the internationally populated virtual world called Second Life. This immersive, interactive learning activity is a public site designed for warfighters and their families. It educates visitors about combat-related post-traumatic stress and offers resources for seeking help. Photo courtesy of the National Center for Telehealth and Technology.

From the DoD.

Interactive Simulation Launched to Provide Information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today the launch of an interactive simulation designed to help those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) developed the ‘Virtual PTSD Experience’ to help combat veterans and their families and friends to anonymously enter a virtual world and learn about PTSD causes, symptoms and resources.

“We believe this is the first time DoD has used interactive simulations with the Web to help our military community with PTSD in the privacy of their homes," said Dr. George Peach Taylor Jr., principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

The Virtual PTSD Experience was designed to be used in the privacy of homes. Visitors are anonymous, which reduces the perceived stigma of asking for help with PTSD.

“We created an environment that lets people learn by doing, rather than reading text and watching videos on two-dimensional websites,” said. Kevin Holloway, the psychologist who led T2’s virtual world development. “They can learn something new each time they visit.”

The T2 Virtual PTSD Experience can be visited at http://www.t2health.org/vwproj/

Located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., T2 is a component of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.