From Fear to Confidence: Virtual Reality and ChatGPT-4 in the Treatment of Social Anxiety

Camones V.; Cisneros P.; Quevedo D. · Memorias de la Conferencia Iberoamericana de Complejidad, Informatica y Cibernetica, CICIC (2025) · DOI: 10.54808/cicic2025.01.115

Resumen

Social anxiety disorders significantly impact the quality of life of millions of people, limiting their social interactions. It is estimated that approximately 12.1% of adults will experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). This study evaluates a system based on virtual reality (VR) and the ChatGPT-4 API, designed to treat social anxiety through interactive simulations of social situations. Tests were conducted with 20 participants clinically diagnosed with social anxiety. After three weeks of intervention, results showed an average 20% reduction in social anxiety levels, measured using the validated LSAS and SPIN scales. Additionally, the system achieved a 90.58% success rate in simulated interactions. Usability tests revealed high levels of acceptance, with 63.75% positive responses in ease of use, 72.5% in effectiveness, 76.67% in learnability, and 78.33% in interface quality. These findings highlight the system’s potential as a scalable and personalized tool for treating social anxiety in both clinical and non-clinical settings, offering a viable and accessible alternative for innovative therapeutic interventions. Copyright 2025. © por el International Institute of Informatics and Systemics.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas