Digital Avatar Therapy Reduces Voices in Psychosis

A phase 2/3 trial published in The Lancet Psychiatry evaluated AVATAR therapy, a digital intervention where individuals with psychosis engage in dialogue with a computer-generated representation of their auditory hallucination.

Both brief and extended versions of the therapy led to reductions in voice severity, with improvements maintained over follow-up. More recent VR-based adaptations have shown similarly strong effects, with large post-therapy reductions in symptoms.

These results highlight how immersive digital technologies can be harnessed to tackle one of the most challenging symptoms in psychosis. By externalizing and confronting their voices in a structured therapeutic context, patients gain a new sense of control. AVATAR therapy represents a creative, evidence-based approach that may soon stand alongside established treatments as part of comprehensive care for psychosis.