4 / 14
allied
academies
Page 22
Notes:
Journal of Psychology and Cognition | Volume 4
May 13-14, 2019 | Prague, Czech Republic
Addiction Research and Therapy
2
nd
International Conference on
J Psychol Cognition, Volume 4
Identifying and treating Gambling Disorders in an immersive virtual world city
Dion Croom
Habet Addiction Healthcare Ltd, UK
G
ambling Disorder (GD) is the term used to describe
an addiction to gambling that may be harmful to the
gambler, family and friends, society, or both. With the
phenomenal rise in internet usage over the past 20 years, and
the resulting ease of access to gambling activity, GD is now
recognised as a significant problem in modern society which
is demanding the attention of Governments worldwide and
in particular healthcare professionals, industry operators
and regulators. One of the main problems of treating GD
is helping the sufferer to recognise they have an issue
and seek assistance for what many regards as a shameful,
embarrassing compulsion1. They may be reluctant to admit
the scale of their condition and avoid accessing traditional
healthcare routes in an attempt to hide the problem until
it is no longer containable, by which time there are often
devastating financial, emotional and social consequences.
HABET Addiction Healthcare seeks to explore the benefits
and the capabilities of various emerging state-of-the-art
interactive 3D and virtual world technologies and investigates
how these technologies can be developed to create a more
effective technology-supported addiction therapy and
treatment solution for GD. As an immersive internet support
system, Habet seeks to address the patient’s addictive state
and situation through the use of avatar-based, audio and
physiology-based analysis in this environment while also
offer access to localized health and support services. HABET’s
innovative virtual reality exposure therapy system is adaptive
andcustomizabletothedemandsoftheinvivoexperienceand
therapeutic progress. HABET follows a gamification approach
where rewards and achievements are utilized to motivate the
patient to progress in his/her treatment. The HABET research
project will outline how HABET could be part of classical
cognitive behavioural treatment and how to validate the
integration of such an immersive treatment environment.
Speaker Biography
Dion Croom is acknowledged as a social entrepreneur and virtual world
pioneer in avatar digital media and avatar brand marketing and its
use in translating virtual world branding into real world success within
society at large. Bridging the digital divide through the use of immersive
technology. Games-based intervention strategies, emergent in-action/on-
action models, industry companies, commercial products, and patented
communication method and apparatus have evolved from his research.
Targeted is societal impact and benefit in respect of future demographics
and service industries through applied ICT and optimized motivation of
use through inclusive intervention strategies. He originates from Brooklyn,
New York and has been instrumental as part of the initial community
ICT strategy in the late 1990’s into disadvantage community adoption
of ICT and is now the current Managing Director of Habet Addiction
Healthcare an Immersive Internet intervention virtual city initiative.
e:
dcroom@habetonline.com