Psychiatrists help create app to cure arachnophobia

New app created with input from psychiatrists aims to rid people of their fear of spiders by introducing them to a “cute” cartoon arachnid and slowly building up to being crawled on by an augmented reality tarantula

A software developer has teamed up with a pair of psychiatrists to develop an app which they claim can rid people of their fear of spiders by introducing them to a “cute” cartoon arachnid and slowly building up to being crawled on by an augmented reality tarantula.

The creators of the app claim that 60 per cent of the UK has arachnophobia to some extent, but that only one per cent of those seek any help to overcome their phobia.

Phobia Free uses “exposure therapy” to slowly desensitise people to spiders. Initially it asks users to play games with a pink cartoon spider called Itsy, unlocking achievements and new levels. 

^{The game introduces people to a spider called Itsy}
 

As the game progresses Itsy is replaced by increasingly realistic spiders until users are eventually able to cope with the sight of a fully grown tarantula crawling on their hands created with augmented reality technology.

The app has been created by developer Virtually Free with input from Dr Russell Green, a practicing psychiatrist who also provides the voice for the in-app therapist “Dr Freeman” and Dr Andres Fonseca, honorary senior lecturer at Roehampton University.
The developers say that the software is a “springboard project” and that they hope to eventually launch a range of apps to help treat different psychological issues.