A qualitative pilot study examining the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual reality delivered intervention for opioid use disorder.

INTRODUCTION

This qualitative pilot study examined the acceptability of a virtual reality (VR) delivered intervention combining motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).

METHOD: Six participants (ages 23-48) with diagnosed OUD completed semi-structured exit interviews following an 8-week VR-based therapeutic intervention. Interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step descriptive phenomenological method and thematic inductive analysis.

RESULTS

Five overarching themes emerged: (1) utilization of technology (with sub-themes of instrumentation challenges, tolerability concerns, and ease of use), (2) mode of delivery (including psychological safety, and concentration benefits and preference for VR versus in-person delivery), (3) mental health improvement, (4) therapist satisfaction (characterized by non-judgmental support and individualization), and (5) program satisfaction (highlighting convenience, flexibility, and one-on-one therapeutic engagement). All participants reported improvements in mental health, including better stress management, enhanced relationships, and overall well-being. Participants demonstrated high therapeutic engagement and felt psychologically safer sharing personal concerns through VR compared to traditional face-to-face therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

VR-delivered interventions show promise as a feasible and acceptable treatment modality for OUD, offering unique advantages in therapeutic engagement and psychological safety. However, physical comfort issues (headset heat, motion sickness) and individual preferences must be addressed in future implementations. The findings support the potential for VR technology to transcend generational boundaries and provide effective therapeutic outcomes across age groups.