ERIC Number: EJ1140297
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0306-9885
EISSN: N/A
Avatar-Based Therapy within Prison Settings: Pilot Evaluation
van Rijn, Biljana; Cooper, Mick; Jackson, Andrew; Wild, Ciara
British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, v45 n3 p268-283 2017
The paper presents an introduction of a newly developed, avatar-based virtual reality therapy, as an addition to the therapeutic programme, within a therapeutic community prison in the UK. The participants had six group sessions facilitated by a counsellor. The aim of the project was to investigate whether this approach would improve mental health outcomes for the prisoners, interpersonal relationships within the prison and facilitate the achievement of personal goals for the prisoners. The sample size (n = 4) was insufficient to make firm conclusions about the mental health outcomes. However, the qualitative analysis showed a strong engagement with the programme in addressing personal issues, the development of insight and empathy, and improvements in relationships within the participants and with the counsellor. Further research with a larger sample is needed to establish efficacy of this type of therapy with the prison population.
Descriptors: Correctional Institutions, Institutionalized Persons, Therapy, Computer Simulation, Counseling Effectiveness, Outcomes of Treatment, Mental Health, Interpersonal Relationship, Achievement, Foreign Countries, Pilot Projects, Mixed Methods Research, Semi Structured Interviews, Psychological Patterns, Questionnaires
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Inventory of Interpersonal Problems
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A