Digital avatars could help people suffering with psychosis stand up to distressing voices and find peace, study finds

People who hear bullying or abusive voices could find peace with the help of therapy using computer-generated avatars, according to new research.

The digital animations are created by people with psychosis to fit the voices they hear.

They then role-play with the avatar under the guidance of a therapist, learning to push back against their tormentor.

A study by clinical psychologists at Kings College London (KCL) shows just a few sessions of avatar therapy reduces both the distress and frequency of the voices.

Ruth spent more than five years in hospital because of her illness.

But after therapy with an avatar that she created, she’s now married and about to start a new job.

“When I hear the voices, I hear them as if they’re standing right behind me, hissing in my ear, making remarks,” she told Sky News.

She continued: “Sometimes they do a running commentary of everything I’m doing.

“And other times it’s like they are screaming and yelling directly into my ear. It can be exhausting.

“When I first started with the avatar it was pretty brutal at times, the stuff it would say.

“But over time, I learned that I could overpower that voice.”

‘Face to face’

Therapy begins with people creating a digital avatar to represent the voices they hear.

They first select the right vocal sound for the avatar.

Then, in a process similar to building a police identikit image of a suspect, they choose facial features to create an image that fits the voice they hear.

During therapy, they have a conversation with the avatar, which is under the control of a clinical psychologist, learning to stand up to the distressing voices.

Dr Tom Ward, a clinical psychologist at KCL, said: “It’s typically a very powerful experience for the person.

“The voice is something that they might have been avoiding for many years, and they’re coming face to face with it so people can be understandably anxious.

“The job of the therapist is to make sure that it feels safe enough for them to interact with the avatar.”

‘Extremely important finding’

A study on 345 people, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in the journal Nature, showed avatar therapy helped to push the voices into the background, allowing them to resume a more normal life.

Professor Philippa Garety, the lead researcher, said it was the first therapy shown to have a sustained impact on how often people hear voices.

“This is an extremely important finding,” she said.

“Hearing fewer voices, less often, or voices going away altogether can have a hugely positive impact on their day-to-day lives.”

NICE, the authority that regulates treatments on the NHS, has backed the therapy.

It will now be rolled out to clinics in England for more real-world testing.