JMIR Form Res. 2025 May 30;9:e74401. doi: 10.2196/74401.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) technology is emerging as a tool in mental health care, providing a safe space for social interaction and therapeutic engagement. A social VR-based television program broadcast on Japanese public television offers a virtual environment where adolescents with mental health challenges can engage in peer support using alien avatars, reducing barriers to communication and encouraging emotional expression.
OBJECTIVE: This case series aimed to document the psychological trajectories of adolescents with psychiatric disorders participating in a social VR-based television program.
METHODS: A single-center case series was conducted with 3 adolescents with psychiatric disorders (aged 15, 18, and 19 years) who participated in the social VR-based television program. The study focused on examining patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including psychological measures and qualitative experiences, and clinical observations across program participation and broadcast viewing. Psychological measures, including the Japanese versions of the 3-item Short-Form University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS3-J SF-3), the 14-item Resilience Scale, short form (RS-14), and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), were assessed at 3 time points: baseline, prebroadcast, and postbroadcast. Qualitative analysis of participant dialogue explored themes of self-disclosure, emotional expression, and social dynamics.
RESULTS: Participants showed improvements in loneliness, resilience, and depressive symptoms after participating in the social VR-based program, as indicated by psychological measures and PROs. Qualitative analysis suggested that the structured facilitation embedded in the program enabled participants to express positive and negative emotions, promoting self-reflection and mutual support.
CONCLUSIONS: This case series suggests that structured social VR programs can provide a supportive platform for emotional exploration and psychological growth among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. The combination of avatar-based interaThis case series suggests that structured social VR-based programs can provide a supportive platform for emotional exploration and psychological growth among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. The combination of avatar-based interaction and therapeutic facilitation may offer a novel approach to engaging young people in mental health care, particularly during waiting periods for traditional psychiatric services.ction and therapeutic facilitation may offer a novel approach to engaging young people in mental health care, particularly during waiting periods for traditional psychiatric services.
PMID:40446308 | DOI:10.2196/74401
