IMSE Webinar Series

Wearable Technologies

The challenge that will be discussed in this session is:

Developing Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Social Anxiety in People Who Stutter

Join us for this informal webinar with Ian Chard. There will be an opportunity for question and answer after the presentation. To join this webinar you must register in advance and you will be emailed the joining instructions for the webinar.

Abstract

People who stammer are more likely than fluent speakers to experience heightened levels of social anxiety, this being uniquely associated with speech dysfluency and speaking situations. Yet there are few solutions targeting social anxiety in stammering. Most treatments for people who stammer focus on improving speech fluency, however this does not translate into the reduction of social anxiety symptoms. With help-seeking behaviour particularly low amongst people who stammer, there is a growing need to develop a tailored solution that is easily accessible by this group. In recent years, a growing emphasis on mental health in society has showcased the need for innovative solutions to fill gaps in treatment provision. This was only amplified with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic which has crippled existing services and demonstrated a need for more remote solutions. In this talk I will discuss my work developing smartphone-based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for reducing social anxiety in people who stammer, which may provide some insight into what modern solutions for mental health may look like.

Biography

Ian Chard

PhD Student, Dyson School Of Design Engineering

Ian Chard is a PhD Student who is part of the Design Psychology lab at the Dyson School of Design Engineering.

If you have any questions about accessibility requirements please email Leah Adamson (IMSE Events Officer) on l.adamson@imperial.ac.uk

More events in the Wearable Technologies webinar series:

• 11 February 14.00 Intelligent Wearable Technologies and Clinical Applications in Low- and Middle-income Countries presented by Dr Damien Ming, Department of Infectious Diseases
• 11 March 14.00 Lab-on-a-chip Devices for Effortless Health Monitoring presented by Rosalia Moreddu, Department of Chemical Engineering
• 25 March 14.00 Developing Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Treating Social Anxiety in People Who Stutter presented by Ian Chard, Dyson School Of Design Engineering