Browsing by Author "Maravalhas, Vanessa"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- The use of gamification in social phobiaPublication . Simões-Silva, Vitor; Maravalhas, Vanessa; Cunha, Ana Rafaela; Soares, Maria Inês; da Silva Marques, AntónioSocial phobia usually starts in adolescence. Social situations that include meeting people, talking in groups, or in more specific situations are going to be avoided by individuals. Therefore, this condition has the consequence of significant impairment in diferente occupations. Recent studies show that gamification applied to interventions for the treatment of chronic diseases, and although there are interventions concerning mental health, these are few and there is evidence that these interventions have positive effects on mental health, particularly among, young people. The desensitization therapy program using gamification consisted of 15 sessions, 13 biweekly exposure therapy sessions, and the last reevaluation session corresponding to a total duration of the program of seven weeks. Each session, lasting approximately 50 minutes, is followed a formal structure consisting of the following phases. The intervention focused on shaping appropriate approach behaviors through a processo f successive approximations. ( 132-153)
- Virtual reality in the treatment of acrophobiaPublication . Maravalhas, Vanessa; Marques, António; Sousa, Sara; Monteiro, Pedro; Simões De Almeida, RaquelExposure Therapy using Virtual Reality has been indicated as one of the most promising therapeutic approaches in the treatment of Acrophobia, because Virtual Reality generates exposure conditions systematic controlled and customized desensitization of the individual concerning the phobic incitement and the impulsive responses related to it, potentiating the emotional self-regulated competence and the incorporated cognitive restructuration. This quasi-experimental study had the purpose to analyze the impact of an exposure therapy program using Virtual Reality in the reduction of fear of heights on a sample of the Portuguese population. In this study participated 19 people with and without fear of heights, being distributed by the experimental and control groups. The program was composed of 8 sessions distributed biweekly, corresponding to a total program duration of 4 weeks. The impact of the program was analyzed through the administration of anxiety and acrophobia level assessment instruments and operationalization of psychophysiological procedures, focused on the biofeedback principles, before and after the intervention. The results from both self-report and psychophysiological data revealed a significant reduction in fear of heights in the participants exposed to the exposure therapy program, showing a positive impact of this protocol on the treatment of Acrophobia.