Virtual Reality as a Transformative Tool in Mental Health Treatment

Virtual Reality (VR) stands at the forefront of innovation in the development of personalised mental health interventions. Its unique capabilities allow for immersive experiences within virtual environments, bringing reality into the research lab or the consultation room.
VR has the potential to not only improve research methodologies but also presents opportunities to improve the accessibility, engagement, and efficacy of psychological therapies.
In this presentation, Lucia (who joined the XR-Lab at the end of last year) will use examples from her work in VR covering the evolution of VR applications in mental health over the last two decades. She will also briefly review the latest evidence of the use of VR as a therapeutic tool for addressing mental ill health. Additionally, she will address some practical challenges surrounding the implementation of VR interventions, underscoring the need for responsible innovation in this fast-evolving field.
Martin will then delve into our lab's latest developments, putting a spotlight on three key applications: MIND, REVIVE, and VISOR. Alongside sharing updates on their progress, he will speak about the hurdles and technical challenges these projects face and our efforts to overcome them. As we push forward to bring these innovations to clinics in Australia and communities worldwide.
We are very keen to establish new research collaborations with the department and would love to discuss some of our ideas with you at the seminar.

Lucia is Professor in Clinical Psychology in Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne since November 2023. From 2003 to 2023 she worked at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London (IoPPN) where she combined her academic work with her clinical work as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. Lucia set up and led the IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab (VR Lab) and has recently moved to Melbourne to lead the Orygen Digital-XR Innovation Lab, an interdisciplinary group of clinical academics, clinicians, neuroscientists, post-doctoral researchers working alongside VR developers and industry partners to conduct studies in the use of immersive reality for mental health. She is a Visiting Professor at KU Leuven and at the IoPPN.

Host or Publisher University of Melbourne