Virtual Reality is the More Effective Therapy, as Shown in Gaza Programme

Technology goes farther than complicated lines of code and machines — sometimes, they can even be used to help those mentally struggling.

Experts in Gaza used Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to improve the psychological well-being of five boys who experienced the brutality of  the war firsthand.

“Through programmers, we are able to design games with therapeutic, preventive and developmental goals that help prepare the child or enable them to cope and manage their life more effectively,” Mental health supervisor Abdalla Abu Shamale explained.

One of the teenagers, Salah Abu Rukab, a 15-year old boy who sustained a head injury due to the war expressed that he feels comfortable and enjoys the experience. That through the VR headset, they enter a garden and spaces with animals.

What the VR headsets offer is not just some simple escape, rather it is the bridge that helps the war-scarred children to remember life without war. To show them what it is like to have clear skies devoid of smokeas from gunfires and a field of grass where fragmented buildings have crumbled to dust.

VR headsets allow users to engage with an immersive, 3d dimensional environment. It was first used for gaming purposes, however, the recent application of it proved that its purpose could go beyond game simulations and to a more noble use — aiding in therapy.

The operators specifically design the simulations to fit the children’s physical and psychological conditions in order to ensure the therapy’s success. 

According to Shamale, the therapy’s efficacy is greater than traditional methods as indicated by the speed of treatment and recovery to mental stabilization of the children. Whereas regular sessions usually take up to 10-12 sessions while VR therapy sessions only require five to seven.

“This method has proven its effectiveness over a full year of working with many children, including war-amputee children, injured children and those exposed to extremely traumatic events.”

A guided Virtual Reality experience could very well be the future of the therapy that helps millions of people worldwide overcome their struggles, changing their lives for the better.