A virtual coach can make a positive contribution to the therapy of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the future. Such a coach can motivate patients to persevere with their therapy and help them recall traumatic memories. TU Delft PhD student Myrthe Tielman developed the virtual coach.
Tielman's recent PhD is part of the larger project 'Virtual eCoaching and Storytelling technology for Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment' (VESP), which aims to develop home treatment for people with PTSD.
The virtual coach focuses on two traumatized groups: war veterans and adult victims of childhood sexual abuse. The virtual coach is a character on the computer screen. Patients partly compile their own virtual coach themselves by choosing an appearance and voice. “Sometimes the system determines what the coach looks like, for example to prevent the virtual coach from resembling the perpetrator of the sexual abuse,” explains Tielman.
Inside or outside?
“Using targeted questions, the virtual coach assists in retrieving the events, the environment in which they took place and the feelings associated with them as accurately as possible. These questions focus on the specific situation of the patient. Did the veteran serve in Afghanistan or Lebanon? And did the traumatic event take place indoors or outdoors? Depending on the answers given, the computer system automatically takes a next step, for example asking about the weather or the army base. With a victim of sexual abuse, you can imagine that the questions are more about the living room and the perpetrator, for example.”
Compliment
The system also leaves room for motivational texts. “Think, for example, of a reassuring message if a patient is not doing well or a compliment if the therapy is going well,” says Tielman. “These texts are based on the knowledge and experience of therapists we work with. Thanks to this input, the computer program now also knows, for example, that complaints sometimes first get worse before they eventually get better, and the virtual coach can respond to this by asking questions.”
3D environment
A diary to which photos and images can be added and feelings recorded supports the patient in the virtual reality therapy. With the help of the virtual coach, the patient can describe the situation from the traumatic memory in the diary.
After this, the patient can also recreate this situation in a corresponding virtual 3D environment. Think, for example, of recreating Camp Holland or the victim's nursery. In their own familiar environment, the patient can then virtually visit the scene of the event, retrieve and structure memories, which helps with processing. The human therapist can monitor the progress of the therapy remotely and contact the patient if necessary.
