Zadrian Ardi, Ade Herdian Putra, Afdal, Arina Widya Murni, Chiedu Eseadi, Miftahul Fikri
Pharmacological therapy to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) has the potential to cause dependence in patients. Therefore, psychological therapies are developed that can reduce this dependence. One of the latest psychological therapies for reducing GAD in FD patients is exposure therapy. Over the past ten years, exposure therapy has been aided by virtual reality (VR) technology that can reduce the safety risks of the environment in therapy. This, coupled with the adoption of local wisdom values, makes the therapy more relevant to the patient's life. This study aims to explore the benefits and workings of the local wisdom-based virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) counseling intervention model for FD patients with GAD. This research uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method. The data of this study are literature derived from international scientific papers databases that are relevant to the research topic. This relevant literature is used as data to synthesize findings and answer research questions. The results of the synthesis in this study are that VRET based on local wisdom is effective in reducing GAD symptoms in patients with FD. VRET, based on local wisdom, is recommended to be used to overcome GAD symptoms in patients with FD symptoms. © 2026 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.
Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
