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Anwendung virtueller Realitäten in der forensischen Psychiatrie

Ein neues Paradigma?

Use of virtual reality in forensic psychiatry

A new paradigm?

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Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Virtuelle Realitäten (VR) werden seit mehr als 20 Jahren erfolgreich in der Diagnostik und Behandlung psychischer Störungen eingesetzt. Die Vorteile von VR liegen dabei in der hohen ökologischen Validität virtueller Umgebungen, in der vollständigen Kontrolle der virtuellen Reize und der Fähigkeit, beim Patienten das Gefühl zu erzeugen, tatsächlich in der virtuellen Realität zu sein. VR erlaubt die Konfrontation mit Reizen und Situationen, die in der Realität nicht zugänglich oder zu gefährlich sind. Trotz dieser Vorteile werden VR-gestützte Verfahren bis jetzt noch nicht in der forensischen Psychiatrie eingesetzt.

Fragestellung, Material und Methoden

Anhand eines Überblickes über den aktuellen Forschungsstand VR-gestützter Anwendungen in der Allgemeinpsychiatrie werden die Vorteile und Möglichkeiten VR-gestützter Verfahren für die forensische Psychiatrie dargestellt.

Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen

Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt existieren lediglich erste Studien zu VR-gestützter Diagnostik devianter sexueller Interessen. Diese Studien verdeutlichen das hohe Potenzial ökologisch valider virtueller Umgebungen für die Erfassung forensisch-relevanter Symptomgruppen. Einer der größten Vorteile VR-gestützter Verfahren für die forensische Psychiatrie liegt in der erstmaligen Möglichkeit, psychisch kranke Straftäter in deliktrelevanten Risikosituationen ohne Gefährdung Dritter zu beobachten. Dies eröffnet nicht nur aus diagnostischer und prognostischer, sondern auch aus therapeutischer Sicht neue Möglichkeiten. Bevor diese Möglichkeiten im klinischen Alltag ausgeschöpft werden können, ist noch eine umfangreiche Entwicklungs- und Forschungsarbeit notwendig. Angesichts des Potenzials VR-gestützter Verfahren für die forensische Psychiatrie erscheint diese Forschungsarbeit jedoch lohnenswert.

Summary

Background

For more than 20 years virtual realities (VR) have been successfully used in the assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The most important advantages of VR are the high ecological validity of virtual environments, the entire controllability of virtual stimuli in the virtual environment and the capability to induce the sensation of being in the virtual environment instead of the physical environment. VRs provide the opportunity to face the user with stimuli and situations which are not available or too risky in reality. Despite these advantages VR-based applications have not yet been applied in forensic psychiatry.

Objectives and methods

On the basis of an overview of the recent state-of-the-art in VR-based applications in general psychiatry, the article demonstrates the advantages and possibilities of VR-based applications in forensic psychiatry.

Results and conclusions

Up to now only preliminary studies regarding the VR-based assessment of pedophilic interests exist. These studies demonstrate the potential of ecologically valid VR-based applications for the assessment of forensically relevant disorders. One of the most important advantages is the possibility of VR to assess the behavior of forensic inpatients in crime-related situations without endangering others. This provides completely new possibilities not only regarding the assessment but also for the treatment of forensic inpatients. Before utilizing these possibilities in the clinical practice exhaustive research and development will be necessary. Given the high potential of VR-based applications, this effort would be worth it.

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Einhaltung ethischer Richtlinien

Interessenkonflikt. P. Fromberger und K. Jordan geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht. J.L. Müller hat Beraterhonorare der Dr. Pfleger GmbH, Bamberg erhalten. Dieser Beitrag beinhaltet keine Studien an Menschen oder Tieren.

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Correspondence to P. Fromberger.

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Fromberger, P., Jordan, K. & Müller, J. Anwendung virtueller Realitäten in der forensischen Psychiatrie. Nervenarzt 85, 298–303 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-013-3904-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-013-3904-7

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