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Research
SIAT researchers use virtual reality to help young adults cope with health challenges
A team of SIAT researchers was recently awarded the New Frontiers in Research Fund to help support their project 鈥淧athways to flourishing: leveraging virtual reality for cultivating compassion, resilience, social connectedness, and healthy habits in emerging adults facing chronic health challenges.鈥�
The research team includes professor and director Bernhard Riecke; professors Sylvain Moreno, and Steve DiPaola; co-project lead and PhD student Denise Quesnel; graduate students Noah Miller and Jacob Sauer; postdoctoral researchers Alexandra Kitson and Katarina Tabi; School of Mechatronics associate professor Faranak Farzan; and industry professionals Beth Payne, Dzung Vo, and Jennifer Wilson.
The uniquely recognizes the interdisciplinary value of research and supports high-risk ideas with transformative potential.
explores how virtual reality (VR) can be used to help youth with chronic health conditions to access early intervention, reduce stigma associated with seeking support, and empower youths to build skills for future challenges.
With this funding, the research team will be be iteratively developing and evaluating multiple therapeutic components in a new VR psychosocial intervention, specifically education and exercises in compassion, peer support, and mindfulness. These will be designed in a way to maximize engagement, and support coping and resilience during what can be a challenging life stage.
The funding will also enable the research team to engage diverse young people whose experiences have been historically underrepresented in research and share this process with both academic and non-academic communities as a guiding framework.
Pathways to flourishing: leveraging Virtual Reality for cultivating compassion, resilience, social connectedness, and healthy habits in emerging adults facing chronic health challenges
Emerging adults, also known as transitional age youth (TAY; age 16鈥�30), with chronic health con颅di颅tions face sig颅nif颅i颅cant psy颅choso颅cial chal颅lenges during a for颅ma颅tive devel颅op颅men颅tal period, includ颅ing coping with adver颅sity, with anx颅i颅ety and depres颅sion co-occurring in approx颅i颅mately half of this group. Many life events (e.g., major relo颅ca颅tions, edu颅ca颅tion or career tran颅si颅tions, med颅ical diag颅noses, care颅giv颅ing respon颅si颅bil颅i颅ties) create unique oppor颅tu颅ni颅ties for growth, and also can cause adver颅sity, espe颅cially during emerg颅ing adult颅hood鈥� a dynamic time with increased risks to mental health. Yet, this life phase presents a remark颅able oppor颅tu颅nity to develop skills and habits that ripple through颅out life towards enhanced well-being.
Interventions using con颅tem颅pla颅tive and strengths-based adap颅tive skills approaches to pos颅i颅tive func颅tion颅ing, such as devel颅op颅ing coping and resilience abil颅i颅ties, are par颅tic颅u颅larly effec颅tive for TAYs with chronic health con颅di颅tions. However, access颅ing inter颅ven颅tions and sup颅port颅ive envi颅ron颅ments can be chal颅leng颅ing for these youths who require tai颅lored tools that accom颅mo颅date their lived real颅i颅ties.
Unfortunately, many young indi颅vid颅u颅als, par颅tic颅u颅larly those 飞颈迟丑颅辞耻迟 formal mental health diag颅noses face a lack of acces颅si颅ble health and well-being ser颅vices, often receiv颅ing sup颅port only in crisis sit颅u颅a颅tions. Virtual reality inter颅ven颅tions (VRIs) demon颅strate poten颅tial for imbu颅ing adap颅tive skills such as coping, mind颅ful颅ness, and com颅pas颅sion towards well-being. Additionally, VR can pro颅vide authen颅tic social con颅nec颅tion at a time when sup颅port颅ive peer envi颅ron颅ments are vital and in-person inter颅ac颅tions are often unfeasible.
The aim of the researchers is to develop a proof-of-concept Virtual reality intervention (VRI) that trains adap颅tive skills of coping, resilience, and com颅pas颅sion颅ate abil颅i颅ties 鈥� and builds resilience towards adver颅sity.
Tailored for TAYs with chronic health con颅di颅tions, the researchers will inte颅grate their lived expe颅ri颅ence in a co-design research process. Leveraging the research team鈥檚 abil颅ity to rapidly develop VR, they will amplify the VRI鈥檚 rel颅e颅vance using novel biosen颅sors and AI within its inter颅face. Through fea颅si颅bil颅ity and accept颅abil颅ity test颅ing and col颅lab颅o颅ra颅tor sup颅port, we will explore how to extend reach and acces颅si颅bil颅ity of the VRI to TAYs through dis颅tri颅b颅u颅tion points such as sup颅ported at-home use, and inte颅grated in rou颅tine health services.
The out颅comes of this work will pro颅vide insight into the poten颅tial of a VRI within early inter颅ven颅tion, and out颅line design and imple颅men颅ta颅tion con颅sid颅er颅a颅tions spe颅cific to youth needs within a com颅mu颅nity con颅text.
