Acceptability of an aversive therapy in virtual reality using the cybersickness for patients with substance use disorder – a prospective, observational and multicenter study

This is a cross-sectional, multicentre observational study carried out in France to investigate the acceptability of a new aversive virtual reality therapy using cybersickness as an aversive effect in patients with substance use disorders, by means of a questionnaire. Cybersickness is a syndrome associated with virtual reality headsets that causes symptoms similar to kinetosis, such as dizziness and nausea. This syndrome is usually reduced for greater comfort, but it could be caused by different settings, creating an unpleasant sensation when the substance is seen. Thus, by using this unpleasant stimulus as a positive punishment associated with virtual exposure, this therapy would take up two principles of cognitive behavioural therapies, which remain the reference therapy for addictive disorders. However, aversive therapies using the principle of positive punishment have been controversial, leading to a decline in these practices. It therefore seems important, before considering further studies to assess the effectiveness of such therapy, to know whether there are patients interested in this virtual reality therapy.