Pixana, a virtual reality (VR) solutions provider, and Limbix, a company that uses VR therapy in healthcare announced they’re teaming up to develop interactive VR therapy to help teens better understand and cope with depression and anxiety.
Working with Harvard University researchers and Stony Brook University they plan to develop VR scenes to help teenagers work through emotions and stressful situations in a safe place.
At the root of this idea is Growth Mindset Training, the belief that neither intelligence or personality are fixed mindsets. Just as academic success can change, so too can personality traits like sadness, shyness or likability.
For kids and teenagers, a growth mindset has been shown to have a powerful impact on their psychological recovery from socially stressful situations.
If schools can intervene early to help students develop growth mindsets, they could improve students abilities to cope with stress and reduce anxiety.
You can read more about mindsets and mental health, and growth mindset parenting here.