A report released by the World Economic Forum -WEF on Monday, June 26, has stated that Metaverse technology could be a solution to the growing need to combat mental healthcare -related issues globally. One of the country’s most critical public health concerns – excessive screen time and social media usage – has been declared a war on by the Surgeon General of the United States, which illustrates the importance of the issue.
A groundbreaking solution may lie in virtual shared spaces, commonly referred to as theMetaverse, according to WEF. People can interact professionally and socially through these digital environments, potentially combating the Mental healthcare crisis rather than contributing to it. Using augmented or virtual reality technologies, the Metaverse can be enhanced and offer new opportunities for connection and engagement.
Mental healthcare problems were on the rise prior to COVID-19, but the current situation has exacerbated them to unprecedented levels. A growing demand for Mental health services has outpaced available resources, making innovative solutions more urgent than ever. To address the shortage of mental health providers, the United States is considering a federal reimbursement opportunity for tele-mental health services.
Metaverse Technology-driven mental health infrastructure: its role
Technology-driven infrastructures centered around mental health may be crucial to prevention, diagnosis, therapy, education, and research, according to psychiatrists and technology experts. By increasing patient engagement and destigmatizing mental health issues, gaming platforms have already shown their potential in mental health treatment.
Video games such as DeepWell Therapeutics and Ninja Theory’s Insight Project target depression and anxiety, while Mindful Metaverse by TRIPP provides guided mindfulness and meditation techniques through virtual reality.
Advances in interface technologies are making a marked impact on social and emotional connections in virtual environments. Emerge Wave 1 uses ultrasonic waves to create a sense of touch, bringing distant participants closer together. Meanwhile, Neurable headsets can detect users’ emotional states and offer personalised feedback. Such developments have the potential to be utilised for therapeutic purposes involving direct brain stimulation, which could help with treating disorders such as depression.
Experts believe that both patients and the virtual space development could benefit greatly from leveraging the metaverse to address the full continuum of mental health care needs. By integrating the metaverse with a practical and essential application like mental health care, its emergence and widespread adoption could be accelerated.
The world eagerly awaits the exploration of the metaverse as a promising solution to the pressing mental health crisis, following the Surgeon General’s call to action.
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