Symposium
Anxiety Disorders
Brooke Cullen, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Post-baccalaureate Research Assistant
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Aleeza West, B.A. (she/her/hers)
Lab Manager
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Christina F. Sandman, Ph.D.
Research Affiliate
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Julia Yarrington, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Postdoctoral Scholar
UCLA
Los Angeles, California, United States
Brett Davis, M.A.
Graduate Student
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Mason Mcclay, PhD (he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
University Of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Courtney Forbes, PhD (she/her/hers)
Postdoctoral Scholar
UCLA
Los Angeles, California, United States
Christina M. Hough, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Michelle G. Craske, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Anhedonia, or diminished capacity to experience interest or pleasure in usual activities, is a transdiagnostic symptom relevant to depression, anxiety, substance use, and schizophrenia, and predicts poorer course and suicidality. Despite individuals commonly reporting upregulation of positive emotions as a key goal of therapy, extant psychological and pharmacological interventions show limited effects upon anhedonia. To address deficits in reward processing underlying anhedonia, we developed Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT), a reward-focused intervention integrating immersive virtual reality environments with guided recounting of rewarding autobiographical and virtual experiences. This presentation summarizes findings from three phases of VR-RT development. First, a pilot trial in individuals with depression demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of VR-RT, alongside reductions in anhedonia, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and functional impairment from baseline to one-month follow-up. Second, a randomized controlled pilot trial evaluated a self-guided, mobile adaptation of VR-RT (MVR-RT) relative to a wait-list control, with MVR-RT producing greater improvements in trait affect and reductions in depression and stress during training. Finally, preliminary findings from a randomized controlled trial comparing VR-RT to an active control in individuals with elevated anhedonia suggest greater improvements in anhedonia and increases in positive affect over the course of treatment. Across studies, VR-RT was associated with robust within-session increases in positive affect, suggesting enhancement of reward-related processes as a potential mechanism of change. Together, these studies illustrate the systematic development of VR-RT and provide converging preliminary support for immersive, reward-based interventions as a promising approach to supporting well-being. By reducing barriers to accessing and engaging with rewarding experiences, VR-RT may be particularly well suited for community settings where engagement and treatment response are ongoing challenges.