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Use of Virtual Reality Methods in Treating Eating Disorders and Body Image

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Encyclopedia of Feeding and Eating Disorders
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Virtual reality (VR) is defined as a computer-generated environment in which the person experiences telepresence, that is, has the sense of “being there,” within the simulated world (e.g., Ijsselsteijn and Riva 2003). In this context, the concept of “presence” involves the subjective experience of being in one place even when physically being in another or believing for a period of time to be in a different world from the one in which the physical body is situated. This is a central feature of VR technology, since it is necessary for the user in the simulated situation to respond to it in a similar way as they would in the real world. Therefore, the sense of presence is essential for VR to be useful in psychopathology.

Virtual reality has proved effective for the assessment and treatment of several mental disorders, mainly anxiety disorders, and it is especially suitable as an exposure method. This technology enables the simulation of real-lifelike situations, thus offering high...

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Correspondence to Marta Ferrer-Garcia .

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Ferrer-Garcia, M. (2017). Use of Virtual Reality Methods in Treating Eating Disorders and Body Image. In: Wade, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Feeding and Eating Disorders. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-104-6_169

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-104-6_169

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