VR reminiscence in a psychiatric hospital Vol. 1.0
Time
2021-2022
Place
– Rainbow & Sea Hospital (Saga, Japan)
What is it?
Our study focuses on the development of a VR system that enables patients to communicate with others and see their faces in a picture-in-picture format. Through creating VR experiences that feature memorable places for patients, we studied the effect of this system on hospitalized patients. Our research suggests that the system and personalized VR content may assist in preventing dementia and reducing negative symptoms of schizophrenia by promoting conversations about recalled memories.
Why do this?
We noticed a limitation in existing VR experiences which are solitary and do not support face-face communication. This inspired us to conduct research to overcome this limitation. Our focus was on patients in psychiatric hospitals who often have prolonged stays. Our VR tool enables these patients to interact with familiar people even remotely, look back on past memories, and share experiences. We believe this technology will be increasingly important in the future.
