Graduation Year

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

Abstract

Anxiety is a leading mental health concern among college students. A growing number of students are presenting with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which is one of the most common anxiety disorders. As demands for treatment of this disorder increase, counseling centers are also facing limited funding for providing such services. The result is that there is a need to provide more cost effective, and empirically supported approaches to treatment. Therefore, implementing a program that will allow students to utilize already accessible technology to teach themselves how to combat anxiety is merited. Virtual reality therapy (VRT), is one such technology and it has been found to be an effective treatment for GAD and a wide variety of other mental health disorders. VRT has not been implemented in a college counseling center for treatment of GAD to this author’s awareness. Therefore, a proposal for utilizing a VRT in college counseling centers for the treatment of GAD in college students is warranted to address the noted increasing needs for services. The origins, assessment, and treatment of GAD are outlined in this project. A brief overview of VRT efficacy and nature therapy is also reviewed. A novel, 11 session, proposed protocol for utilizing VRT in the treatment of GAD in college counseling centers is also detailed.

Faculty Mentor

Theresa Botts, Ph.D.

Department Affiliation

Psychology

Committee Member

Michael McClellan, Ph.D.

Department Affiliation

Psychology

Committee Member

Dustin Wygant, Ph.D.

Department Affiliation

Psychology

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