Exploring Therapeutic Outcomes Through Dyadic Interactions: The Role of Patient-Avatar Dynamics in Avatar Therapy | American Journal of Psychotherapy
Objective: Despite the efficacy of current therapies, a significant proportion of patients with schizophrenia, a complex mental disorder marked by both positive (present) and negative (absent) symptoms, are considered to have treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Avatar therapy (AT) allows patients to interact with a three-dimensional representation of their most distressing voices in a virtual reality setting. The therapy shows promise in reducing impairments and improving quality of life through the establishment of a therapeutic alliance and the exploration of dyadic interactions (verbal exchanges) between patients and their avatar. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in dyadic interactions throughout the immersive sessions of AT and to clarify the relationship between these interactions and therapeutic success by analyzing dyads as predictive indicators of positive outcomes in AT. Method: Mean frequencies for the 10 most prevalent dyads identified in previous AT r
