The application of XR in mental health care
The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of extended reality as a tool for investigation, assessment, and management in mental healthcare.
mental health
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. We report on the application of e-mental health solutions, chatbots and extended reality tools for evaluation, treatment and monitoring of psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression and phobias.
New 3D facial scans to give genetic clues to autism
High-tech 3D facial scans to give us a better understanding of the genetic causes of autism.
Augmented reality helps tackle arachnophobia
Researchers have developed an augmented reality app for smartphones in order to help people reduce their fear of spiders.
Wearables identify psychological effects of pandemic
The number of individuals with COVID-19 in the community was a significant factor associated with stress in health care workers over time.
Chatbots could train our mental condition
Technology will play an increasingly social and even emotional role in our lives. Virtual conversations lead to more self-compassion.
Using AI and video for early detection of autism
Using artificial intelligence, researchers have developed a device for the early detection of autism spectrum disorder in children.
VR unmasks impact of moral distress on healthcare workers
Researchers are using virtual reality to understand the impact of moral distress on healthcare workers during the pandemic.
World-leading pioneers speak at Medical XR congress
At Shift Medical, more than 60 leading medical XR experts will present and discuss the latest developments on the use of digital technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality in medicine.
Fitness apps keep us moving during lockdown
Researchers studied the mental health barriers which promote or prevent people from engaging with physical activity apps during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
Can chatbots help fill the empathy gap?
Stressed out? Need to talk? Turning to a chatbot for emotional support might help, research from Michigan State University shows.
Research programme to bioprint ear and noses launched
The Scar Free Foundation has launched a research programme that aims to revolutionise surgeons’ ability to reconstruct nose and ear cartilage in patients affected by facial difference.
A mental health app for young people
A graduate has helped a tech start-up to develop a new augmented reality app which provides round-the-clock mental health support to young people.
Olfactory VR show promise for mental health practices
New research on Olfactory Virtual Reality (OVR) paints a clearer picture for clinical psychiatrists about how it could be used to safely and effectively help mental health and mood disorders.
Smart device-based electronic platform monitor mental health
To help patients manage their mental wellness between appointments, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a smart device-based electronic platform that can continuously monitor the state of hyperarousal, one of the signs of psychiatric distress.
Researchers use virtual reality to reach youth
Researchers found that patients participating in VR sessions experienced reduced levels of anxiety and depression.
Robots benefit special education students
Researchers have discovered that primary school children in both regular and special needs schools make strides when they learn together with a robot.
Early detection of bipolar disorder with AI-based tool
Researchers have created a machine learning model that helps identify bipolar disorder at earlier stages.
mhealth: the digital placebo effect of health apps
Sharing information about the expected effect of a health app before its use and providing positive feedback regarding its effectiveness after its use have the potential to strengthen the placebo effect.
Virtual reality helps to treat fear of heights
Researchers have developed a VR app to reduce fear of heights. Now, they have conducted a clinical trial to study its efficacy.
Soft brain implant controls brain cells
Researchers have invented a smartphone-controlled soft brain implant that can be recharged wirelessly from outside the body.
AI-designed serotonin sensor may help study mental health
NIH BRAIN Initiative scientists used machine learning to redesign a bacterial ‘Venus flytrap’ protein that can monitor brain serotonin levels in real time.
Are digital trackers for mental health fit for purpose?
Digital tracking of people with mental health conditions has the power to transform medical diagnostics and treatment, but its claims need careful scrutiny.
VR helps measure vulnerability to stress
Behavioral scientists have developed a virtual reality test that assesses a person’s vulnerability to stress while exploring immersive environments.
Using AI to track pandemic’s impact on mental health
Researchers have shown that they can measure those effects of the Corona pandemic on mental health by analyzing the language that people use to express their anxiety online.
Exposure therapy in VR to prevent disorders
VR can have significant impact on the validity of remote health appointments for those with eating disorders, through called Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET).
Neural networks could help predict future self-harm
Researchers have created artificial intelligence algorithm that can automatically identify patients at high risk of intentional self-harm, based on the information in the clinical notes in the electronic health record.
Motivation for using chatbots for mental health
Researchers assessed what would motivate people to use chatbots for mental health services in the wake of a mass shooting.
Assessing mental illnesses through digital phenotyping
Digital phenotyping and machine learning have emerged as promising tools for monitoring patients with psychosis spectrum illnesses.
Depression risk detected by measuring heart rate changes
For the first time doctors have shown that measuring changes in 24-hour heart rate can reliably indicate whether or not someone is depressed.
