Mental health in the digital age

Virtual Reality (VR) enables the assessment of thoughts, emotions, body response and behaviour in real-time and has been used in psychology research for the last twenty years. Recent developments in VR in the computer game industry has lead to the creation of simpler, more affordable immersive VR systems. This has spurred on the use of VR for the research, assessment and treatment of mental health problems. In my talk, I will give an overview of the use of VR in mental health with examples from our current research.

Fears about others causing us harm (or paranoia) are often experienced by 1 in 5 of the population. Talking therapy can help, but is rarely available, and people may not be willing to give it a go and can struggle to apply new ways of coping to daily life. Now SlowMo, a novel digital therapy, developed using inclusive design, aims to address these challenges. SlowMo supports people to visualise their thoughts and thinking habits to find ways of feeling safer. Come and hear how our collaboration of researchers, clinicians, designers and technologists is helping to shape the future of therapy.