Virtual Reality Assisted Trauma Focused CBT

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly important tool in mental healthcare, offering new ways to enhance patient treatment. Over the past decade, there's been growing interest in using VR therapies because they create immersive, controlled environments tailored to individual therapeutic needs. In a safe and controlled, therapeutic setting, these environments can help patients work through difficult emotions and experiences. However, despite its potential, the widespread adoption of VR in routine mental healthcare has been slow due to the high costs of the necessary technology, making it less accessible for many patients and therapists. VR is particularly valuable in mental health therapy because it can evoke strong cognitive, emotional, and physical responses, much like traditional therapeutic techniques that use imagery or visualisation. Research has shown that VR can offer unique benefits, such as real-time monitoring of a patient's responses and creating customised exposure therapies that safely mimic real-world scenarios. These features can be incredibly effective in treating conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and phobias. This study aims to overcome the barriers to VR adoption by developing a more affordable approach to creating virtual environments that can be used in everyday mental healthcare. Collaborating with a software company called ProPeer Solutions, the project has created a process called "VR Photoscan." This method allows for the creation of virtual environments at a lower cost, making it more accessible to clinics and therapists. The ultimate goal is to integrate VR into standard mental health treatments, making this innovative technology available to more people who could benefit from it, specifically within routine psychological therapy services for adults with PTSD.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults who self-report the experience of type 1 trauma (NI related) * PTSD symptoms as identified via PCL-5 \> 31 * Ability to give informed consent -Suitable and willingness to engage in TF- CBT Exclusion Criteria: * History of seizures, seizure disorder, or epilepsy * History of bipolar disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia * Younger than 18 years old * Previously engaged in TF-CBT within the PTS in past 12 months * Actively suicidal or undertaken suicidal action in past 3 months\* * Severe substance dependency \*Participants who have been actively suicidal or have undertaken suicidal actions within the past three months will be excluded from the study. However, given the complexities of mental health and its treatment, the presence of passive suicidal ideation (e.g., thoughts of not wanting to live, without intent or plan) does not automatically lead to exclusion, provided that the participant is assessed as not being at immediate risk. Clinical judgement will be used during the screening process, and ongoing risk will be monitored throughout the study. A distress protocol is in place for the intervention