1
|
Navas-Medrano S, Soler-Dominguez JL, Pons P. Mixed Reality for a collective and adaptive mental health metaverse. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1272783. [PMID: 38250268 PMCID: PMC10796542 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1272783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This research paper explores the significant transformative potential of Mixed Reality (MR) technology as enabler of the metaverse, specifically aimed at enhancing mental health therapies. The emerging world of the metaverse, a multiuser, adaptive, three-dimensional digital space, paired with the interactive and immersive benefits of MR technology, promises a paradigm shift in how mental health support is delivered. Unlike traditional platforms, MR allows for therapy within the comfort of the user's familiar surroundings, while incorporating the benefits of social collaboration and interactions. The metaverse environment fosters heightened personalization and deeper user engagement, thereby offering a more tailored approach to computerized therapy. Beyond its immersive capabilities, MR offers potential for real-time, smart adaptations to the users' psycho-physiological state, targeting unique patients' needs on a diverse spectrum of therapeutic techniques, thus broadening the scope of mental health support. Furthermore, it opens avenues for continuous emotional support in everyday life situations. This research discusses the benefits and potentials of integrating MR within a mental health metaverse, highlighting how this innovative approach could significantly complement traditional therapeutic methods, fostering improved treatment efficacy, focusing on social and collective experiences, and increasing patient engagement.
Collapse
|
2
|
Tchao D, Lewis-Fung S, Gray H, Pardini S, Harris LR, Appel L. Describing epilepsy-related anxiety to inform the design of a virtual reality exposure therapy: Results from Phase 1 of the AnxEpiVR clinical trial. Epilepsy Behav Rep 2023; 21:100588. [PMID: 36794093 PMCID: PMC9922786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2023.100588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
People with epilepsy (PwE) are at a greater risk of comorbid anxiety, which is often related to the fear of having another seizure for safety or social reasons. While virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy (ET) has been successfully used to treat several anxiety disorders, no studies to date have investigated its use in this population. This paper discusses Phase 1 of the three-phase AnxEpiVR pilot study. In Phase 1, we aimed to explore and validate scenarios that provoke epilepsy/seizure-specific (ES) interictal anxiety and provide recommendations that lay the foundation for designing VR-ET scenarios to treat this condition in PwE. An anonymous online questionnaire (including open- and closed-ended questions) that targeted PwE and those affected by it (e.g., through a family member, friend, or as a healthcare professional) was promoted by a major epilepsy foundation in Toronto, Canada. Responses from n = 18 participants were analyzed using grounded theory and the constant comparison method. Participants described anxiety-provoking scenes, which were categorized under the following themes: location, social setting, situational, activity, physiological, and previous seizure. While scenes tied to previous seizures were typically highly personalized and idiosyncratic, public settings and social situations were commonly reported fears. Factors consistently found to increase ES-interictal anxiety included the potential for danger (physical injury or inability to get help), social factors (increased number of unfamiliar people, social pressures), and specific triggers (stress, sensory, physiological, and medication-related). We make recommendations for incorporating different combinations of anxiety-related factors to achieve a customizable selection of graded exposure scenarios suitable for VR-ET. Subsequent phases of this study will include creating a set of VR-ET hierarchies (Phase 2) and rigorously evaluating their feasibility and effectiveness (Phase 3).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hannah Gray
- Faculty of Health, Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Susanna Pardini
- OpenLab, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy,Digital Health Lab, Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Laurence R. Harris
- Faculty of Health, Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lora Appel
- OpenLab, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada,Faculty of Health, School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada,Corresponding author at: 242 Roselawn Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1E9, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wiebe A, Kannen K, Selaskowski B, Mehren A, Thöne AK, Pramme L, Blumenthal N, Li M, Asché L, Jonas S, Bey K, Schulze M, Steffens M, Pensel MC, Guth M, Rohlfsen F, Ekhlas M, Lügering H, Fileccia H, Pakos J, Lux S, Philipsen A, Braun N. Virtual reality in the diagnostic and therapy for mental disorders: A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 98:102213. [PMID: 36356351 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the diagnostics and treatment of mental disorders. OBJECTIVE To systematically review the current evidence regarding the use of VR in the diagnostics and treatment of mental disorders. DATA SOURCE Systematic literature searches via PubMed (last literature update: 9th of May 2022) were conducted for the following areas of psychopathology: Specific phobias, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, dementia disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and addiction disorders. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA To be eligible, studies had to be published in English, to be peer-reviewed, to report original research data, to be VR-related, and to deal with one of the above-mentioned areas of psychopathology. STUDY EVALUATION For each study included, various study characteristics (including interventions and conditions, comparators, major outcomes and study designs) were retrieved and a risk of bias score was calculated based on predefined study quality criteria. RESULTS Across all areas of psychopathology, k = 9315 studies were inspected, of which k = 721 studies met the eligibility criteria. From these studies, 43.97% were considered assessment-related, 55.48% therapy-related, and 0.55% were mixed. The highest research activity was found for VR exposure therapy in anxiety disorders, PTSD and addiction disorders, where the most convincing evidence was found, as well as for cognitive trainings in dementia and social skill trainings in autism spectrum disorder. CONCLUSION While VR exposure therapy will likely find its way successively into regular patient care, there are also many other promising approaches, but most are not yet mature enough for clinical application. REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO register CRD42020188436. FUNDING The review was funded by budgets from the University of Bonn. No third party funding was involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annika Wiebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kyra Kannen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Benjamin Selaskowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Aylin Mehren
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Thöne
- School of Child and Adolescent Cognitive Behavior Therapy (AKiP), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lisa Pramme
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nike Blumenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mengtong Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura Asché
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephan Jonas
- Institute for Digital Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Bey
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marcel Schulze
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maria Steffens
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Max Christian Pensel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Guth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Felicia Rohlfsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mogda Ekhlas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Helena Lügering
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Helena Fileccia
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Julian Pakos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Silke Lux
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Niclas Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pons P, Navas-Medrano S, Soler-Dominguez JL. Extended reality for mental health: Current trends and future challenges. FRONTIERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcomp.2022.1034307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Virtual and augmented reality have been used to diagnose and treat several mental health disorders for decades. Technological advances in these fields have facilitated the availability of commercial solutions for end customers and practitioners. However, there are still some barriers and limitations that prevent these technologies from being widely used by professionals on a daily basis. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a variety of new scenarios in which these technologies could play an essential role, like providing remote treatment. Disorders that traditionally had received less attention are also getting in the spotlight, such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Improvements in equipment and hardware, like Mixed Reality Head Mounted Displays, could help open new opportunities in the mental health field. Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term meant to comprise Virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and augmented reality (AR). While XR applications are eminently visual, other senses are being explored in literature around multisensory interactions, such as auditory, olfactory, or haptic feedback. Applying such stimuli within XR experiences around mental disorders is still under-explored and could greatly enrich the therapeutic experience. This manuscript reviews recent research regarding the use of XR for mental health scenarios, highlighting trends, and potential applications as well as areas for improvement. It also discusses future challenges and research areas in upcoming topics such as the use of wearables, multisensory, and multimodal interaction. The main goal of this paper is to unpack how these technologies could be applied to XR scenarios for mental health to exploit their full potential and follow the path of other health technologies by promoting personalized medicine.
Collapse
|