ENGAGE: Virtual Reality-based Psychotherapy for Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

"A manualized, modularized, Virtual Reality-based intervention comprising 10 sessions of 1 hour each. The VR therapy aims at enhancing anticipatory pleasure and positive emotions by amplifying exposure and reactivity towards social environments and rewarding activities using a highly elaborate VR software. The VR exposure comprises several different virtual social environments (e.g., a bus, a café, a park etc.) In a tailored treatment approach, therapists will guide participants to train focusing on positive stimuli, engage in activities, experience social rewards, and practice expressing emotions through body language.~The therapy focuses on increasing the awareness of positive outcomes that may influence motivation. The therapy deploys activity appraisal/re-appraisal intended to enhance the salience of future opportunities for reward and desire for such rewards, thus targeting reward anticipation processes and promoting enjoyable daily-life activities."