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Pathways to flourishing: leveraging Virtual Reality for cultivating compassion, resilience, social connectedness, and healthy habits in emerging adults facing chronic health challenges

Emerging adults, also known as transitional age youth (TAY; age 16���30), with chronic health con簫di簫tions face sig簫nif簫i簫cant psy簫choso簫cial chal簫lenges during a for簫ma簫tive devel簫op簫men簫tal period, includ簫ing coping with adver簫sity, with anx簫i簫ety and depres簫sion co-occurring in approx簫i簫mately half of this group. Many life events (e.g., major relo簫ca簫tions, edu簫ca簫tion or career tran簫si簫tions, med簫ical diag簫noses, care簫giv簫ing respon簫si簫bil簫i簫ties) create unique oppor簫tu簫ni簫ties for growth, and also can cause adver簫sity, espe簫cially during emerg簫ing adult簫hood��� a dynamic time with increased risks to mental health. Yet, this life phase presents a remark簫able oppor簫tu簫nity to develop skills and habits that ripple through簫out life towards enhanced well-being.

Interventions using con簫tem簫pla簫tive and strengths-based adap簫tive skills approaches to pos簫i簫tive func簫tion簫ing, such as devel簫op簫ing coping and resilience abil簫i簫ties, are par簫tic簫u簫larly effec簫tive for TAYs with chronic health con簫di簫tions. However, access簫ing inter簫ven簫tions and sup簫port簫ive envi簫ron簫ments can be chal簫leng簫ing for these youths who require tai簫lored tools that accom簫mo簫date their lived real簫i簫ties.

Unfortunately, many young indi簫vid簫u簫als, par簫tic簫u簫larly those 滄勳喧堯簫棗喝喧 formal mental health diag簫noses face a lack of acces簫si簫ble health and well-being ser簫vices, often receiv簫ing sup簫port only in crisis sit簫u簫a簫tions. Virtual reality inter簫ven簫tions (VRIs) demon簫strate poten簫tial for imbu簫ing adap簫tive skills such as coping, mind簫ful簫ness, and com簫pas簫sion towards well-being. Additionally, VR can pro簫vide authen簫tic social con簫nec簫tion at a time when sup簫port簫ive peer envi簫ron簫ments are vital and in-person inter簫ac簫tions are often unfeasible.

The aim of the researchers is to develop a proof-of-concept Virtual reality intervention (VRI) that trains adap簫tive skills of coping, resilience, and com簫pas簫sion簫ate abil簫i簫ties ��� and builds resilience towards adver簫sity.

Tailored for TAYs with chronic health con簫di簫tions, the researchers will inte簫grate their lived expe簫ri簫ence in a co-design research process. Leveraging the research team���s abil簫ity to rapidly develop VR, they will amplify the VRI���s rel簫e簫vance using novel biosen簫sors and AI within its inter簫face. Through fea簫si簫bil簫ity and accept簫abil簫ity test簫ing and col簫lab簫o簫ra簫tor sup簫port, we will explore how to extend reach and acces簫si簫bil簫ity of the VRI to TAYs through dis簫tri簫b簫u簫tion points such as sup簫ported at-home use, and inte簫grated in rou簫tine health services.

The out簫comes of this work will pro簫vide insight into the poten簫tial of a VRI within early inter簫ven簫tion, and out簫line design and imple簫men簫ta簫tion con簫sid簫er簫a簫tions spe簫cific to youth needs within a com簫mu簫nity con簫text.