Fujita Junichi, Takayama Mizuho, Kamono Emi, Shinoda Satoru, Yamaguchi Hiroyuki, Moroga Tomoko, Ishii Mio, Miyazaki Tomoyuki
Department of Child Psychiatry, Yokohama City University Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan.
JMIR Form Res. 2025 May 30;9:e74401. doi: 10.2196/74401.
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.
This case series aimed to document the psychological trajectories of adolescents with psychiatric disorders participating in a social VR-based television program.
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.
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.
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.
虚拟现实（VR）技术正在成为精神卫生保健中的一种工具，为社交互动和治疗参与提供了一个安全的空间。一档在日本公共电视台播出的基于社交VR的电视节目提供了一个虚拟环境，有心理健康挑战的青少年可以使用外星化身进行同伴支持，减少沟通障碍并鼓励情感表达。
本病例系列旨在记录参与一档基于社交VR的电视节目的患有精神疾病的青少年的心理轨迹。
对3名患有精神疾病的青少年（年龄分别为15岁、18岁和19岁）进行了单中心病例系列研究，他们参与了这档基于社交VR的电视节目。该研究重点考察患者报告的结果（PROs），包括心理测量指标和定性体验，以及整个节目参与和播出观看过程中的临床观察。心理测量指标，包括3项日本版加州大学洛杉矶分校简版孤独量表（UCLA-LS3-J SF-3）、14项简版复原力量表（RS-14）和9项患者健康问卷（PHQ-9），在3个时间点进行评估：基线、播出前和播出后。对参与者对话的定性分析探讨了自我表露、情感表达和社会动态等主题。
心理测量指标和PROs表明，参与者在参与基于社交VR的节目后，孤独感、复原力和抑郁症状有所改善。定性分析表明，节目中内置的结构化促进措施使参与者能够表达积极和消极情绪，促进自我反思和相互支持。
本病例系列表明，结构化的社交VR节目可以为患有精神疾病的青少年提供一个支持性平台，用于情感探索和心理成长。基于化身的互动和治疗促进相结合，可能为让年轻人参与精神卫生保健提供一种新方法，特别是在等待传统精神科服务的期间。
