Technology & Mental Health (DP IB Psychology): Revision Note

Here is an example of a Paper 3 source and 15-mark ERQ using technology (HL extension) in the Health & Wellbeing context:

Source 5

One relatively recent technological innovation in the treatment of mental health problems is the use of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) to treat combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans.

VRET is a type of therapy that uses virtual reality technology to create simulated environments, e.g., combat zones, where the patient can confront their fears and anxieties in a safe and controlled setting. 

The following study was conducted by Rothbaum et al. (1999).

Aim: To investigate the use of VRET as a treatment for PTSD in a controlled treatment case study.

Participants:

• One participant, a 50-year-old US Caucasian male who had served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam 26 years previously

• The patient had been diagnosed with MDD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Procedure: VRET treatment, delivered in fourteen 90-min individual sessions conducted twice weekly over 7 weeks.

Results:

• PTSD symptoms showed significant improvement across the 7-week period of treatment

• Assessments were also conducted after 3 months and 6 months and showed that the improvements had been maintained

• The patient’s MDD had decreased from severe to moderate and his anger score had also decreased, showing an improvement in negative emotion

Conclusion: The results suggest that VRET treatment is beneficial in decreasing the symptoms of PTSD and MDD in combat veterans.

Q4: To what extent can we conclude that tailor-made treatments such as VRET should be made widely available for people suffering from a range of mental health problems? In your answer, use your own knowledge and at least three of sources 2–5.

[15 marks]

Model answer:

(Here are two paragraphs which could appear as part of a longer response to this question).

The case study in source 5 offers compelling evidence as to the effectiveness of VRET for both PTSD and MDD. By recreating the traumatic environment of combat, the participant is able to gain retrospective control of the situation and of their own feelings. If VRET was available for all cases of PTSD (and other anxiety disorders such as phobias), the success rate for treatment would likely be high, based on the study's findings. Constraints on healthcare budgets are also a potential obstacle to others accessing VRET as it is a time-consuming, expensive process, which means that currently it is only available to a fortunate few.

These findings are from a single participant, making generalisability difficult. It could be argued that the findings are transferable to others who have experienced combat, as they are likely to share very similar experiences and subsequent PTSD symptoms. The use of a standardised procedure (unusual in qualitative research) with set sessions and measurements (the participant's MDD went from 'severe to moderate') means that the method is transferable to other PTSD sufferers.

Guidance

• The command term “To what extent” requires you to express a view/judgement on the merit, validity, or success of an argument or concept, supported by relevant evidence

• Weigh up the relative merits of the claim

  • What is there in this (and other) source(s) that could be used to back up this argument?

  • Do you know of any research or examples which could be used to validate the idea that VRET is suitable and a feasible option for a range of mental health problems?

• Consider the difficulties facing health authorities in implementing VRET which is both time-consuming and expensive

  • What are the practical and financial implications for training therapists in using VRET properly?

• Make sure that your argument is informed by the sources and that it draws from the relevant topics featured in this context

• Include concepts (e.g., causality, bias) to inform your critical thinking and discussion of the source(s) as well as any real-world or anecdotal examples you are aware of