Social VR platform, The Safe Zone, has collaborated with VIVERSE by HTC to create an immersive social platform designed to support young people’s mental health. This new space provides a safe environment, so young people can interact with like-minded people, access mentors and therapists, and receive initial support faster.
The Safe Zone initiative was originally found by a few friends during the Covid pandemic and developed in response to research from across the world which shows a real need for mental health support from an early age. In Germany, a representative survey by the Bertelsmann Stiftung of 2,532 young people from March 2024 shows that nearly half (46 percent) of 16 to 30-year-olds feel lonely. Within this group, 35 percent feel moderately lonely, and about 10 percent feel very lonely. And in the UK, a report published by the NHS England found one in five children and young people in England aged eight to 25 had a probable mental disorder in 2023.
The potential of immersive technologies for supporting mental health therapy is being increasingly explored on a global basis, and early studies into the use of VR for managing stress and anxiety have shown improving health over time. In 2023, an analysis of 61 people treated in the metaverse using VR saw anxiety (via Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale) decreased by 34% and stress (via Perceived Stress Scale) decreased by 32% after virtual intervention.
The Safe Zone aims to provide young people with an opportunity to connect with like-minded people in a safe virtual environment tailored to their needs. The platform can be accessed from almost anywhere, on any device, opening digital peer groups, mentors and first therapy options from almost anywhere.
The platform is designed to deliver secure and anonymous exchanges as an avatar, where individuals can speak with others in a gamified environment familiar to teens. At the same time, an initial exchange with trained mentors and/or therapists can take place in VR, creating an environment of trust and shortening the time it takes to enter further therapy.
The Safe Zone also supports digital therapists by connecting them to young people through a secure virtual channel, so they can work with them from any location. They can undertake various roles, including a moderator in one of The Safe Zone’s rooms, as a mentor or therapist in a dedicated room, or therapeutically as part of a subsequent teletherapy. Young people can use realistic VRM Avatars, or choose to have more creative designs to stay anonymous.
Petra Dahm, CIO of StellDirVor GmbH and the idea originator for The Safe Zone initiative, said: “I know that being a teenager can feel complicated and lonely. When I was younger, I had a hard time combining school with professional sports – this ended up in eating disorders. I know firsthand how important it is to understand that you are not alone and – even more importantly – to find help. When I saw the ever-rising number of teenagers affected by mental health issues during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, I was really touched. If you think about the impact we can make by giving young people a safe place to meet in “their world” and get back into community, gain friends and have access to people they trust, this can mean a lot for their future life, the people around them – like the parents, schools – and society overall.
“We’ve spoken to many schools who show a high interest in utilising The Safe Zone on a regular basis. Also, several associations and NGOs show an interest in co–operation – e.g. for dedicated places for people with autism, teenagers with cancer or those who sadly do not have a family. On the other hand, we are missing a lot of psychiatrists, especially for young people and it’s not attractive for young doctors or specialists to run a physical practice any more. By working together with VIVERSE, we believe The Safe Zone is a beneficial solution for many,” Petra comments.
Built within VIVERSE for Business, a spatial collaboration platform that enables limitless connection, the flexibility of VIVERSE for Business means the Safe Zone is customised through modular design to create functional virtual rooms, suitable for a range of purposes, which can be tailored to the needs of an individual. This flexibility is available across VIVERSE For Business, and other organisations are also creatively utilising this approach.
This includes a Sharing Space for support and connection, providing a central seating circle under a large tree which creates a supportive setting for group talks. A Selfcare Room offers a comfortable retreat for professional meetings between mentors, therapists and individuals in a safe and private reflective space. The third space is a Creative Circle, which is a dedicated place for expression and sharing, where people can enjoy different types of content, such as creating arts, listening to music, developing new ideas, playing games, watching videos and many more.
John Dabill, Director of VIVERSE at HTC, comments: “Mental health cannot be underestimated, and this collaboration aims to deliver a new way for young people to receive support. The Safe Zone and VIVERSE create a functional and flexible platform which addresses the needs of young people through virtual connection and improved access to professional mental health support with immersive technology. We are deeply committed to technological innovation that has a positive impact on people’s lives, and The Safe Zone initiative represents our collective vision.”
For more information, visit https://thesafezone.eu/ and https://www.viverse.com/business