Virtual Reality Mental Health

Virtual Reality (VR) helps people improve their mental health. We are the VR Mental Health research lab of the UMCG University Center for Psychiatry. Since 2014 we have been developing VR applications for psychosis, anxiety, depression, stress, aggression and other psychological problems.

Our goal is that all people with psychological problems can receive effective VR treatments. We investigate whether and how VR treatments work, develop treatment protocols and work on the implementation of VR in Dutch mental health care.

How does it work

With our VR software people can walk around in all kinds of everyday environments, such as a shopping street, a bus, a supermarket or a living room. There they meet avatars, virtual persons. Role-playing allows people to practice difficult or exciting situations and learn skills.

VR takes people to another world. They forget the environment where they are and are completely absorbed in the virtual environment. With our VR relaxatie tool people relax naturally in beautiful natural worlds.

Every person is different. With the VR software, people can choose in which environments and situations they want to practice, or in which environment they relax best. Safe, precisely tailored, and endlessly repeatable.