Yoo Sang Hyun, Choi Eun Jin, Yang Hong Sik
EZNwellness Corporate Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Front Psychol. 2025 Sep 3;16:1649129. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1649129. eCollection 2025.
The metaverse has demonstrated notable effectiveness in psychotherapeutic treatments. This study investigates the efficacy of a metaverse-based family sculpture technique in reducing psychological stress, anxiety, and depression.
Traditional family sculpture methods, known for their ability to identify and address familial relationship dynamics, were adapted to a metaverse environment, facilitating immersive, nonphysical therapeutic interactions. Participants ( = 79) were divided into family sculpture, meditation, combined meditation and family sculpture, no-intervention, and placebo groups engaging in a wish lantern activity. Standardized tools (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Perceived Stress Scale) measured psychological outcomes, followed by pre- and post-intervention assessments.
The combined meditation and family sculpture group exhibited the most significant reductions across all measures, demonstrating a synergistic effect between the two techniques. The family sculpture group effectively reduced anxiety, whereas the meditation group significantly decreased stress and depression. Satisfaction levels were the highest in the combined meditation and family sculpture group, reflecting participants' positive perceptions of emotional stabilization and the usability of metaverse technology.
Metaverse-based interventions can expand access to psychotherapy, offering a novel and engaging platform for therapeutic innovation. Future research should explore larger sample sizes, extended intervention durations, and technical refinements to validate the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of these digital psychotherapeutic approaches.
元宇宙在心理治疗中已显示出显著效果。本研究调查了基于元宇宙的家庭雕塑技术在减轻心理压力、焦虑和抑郁方面的疗效。
以识别和处理家庭关系动态的能力而闻名的传统家庭雕塑方法被应用于元宇宙环境，促进沉浸式、非实体治疗互动。参与者（n = 79）被分为家庭雕塑组、冥想组、冥想与家庭雕塑结合组、无干预组和参与许愿灯活动的安慰剂组。使用标准化工具（广泛性焦虑障碍量表-7、患者健康问卷-9、感知压力量表）测量心理结果，然后进行干预前和干预后的评估。
冥想与家庭雕塑结合组在所有测量指标上的降幅最为显著，表明这两种技术之间存在协同效应。家庭雕塑组有效减轻了焦虑，而冥想组显著降低了压力和抑郁。冥想与家庭雕塑结合组的满意度最高，反映出参与者对情绪稳定和元宇宙技术可用性的积极看法。
基于元宇宙的干预可以扩大心理治疗的可及性，为治疗创新提供一个新颖且引人入胜的平台。未来的研究应探索更大的样本量、更长的干预持续时间以及技术改进，以验证这些数字心理治疗方法的长期可持续性和有效性。
