VR-Melody

Utilising music and AI to advance DR.VR™ and co-create a personalised Virtual Reality (VR) solution to reduce anxiety and build mental resilience in adults.

Study aim

The primary aim of this project was to co-create a personalised VR solution for people experiencing symptoms of anxiety and to build mental resilience, with a focus on exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and music could be used to personalise experiences and increase user engagement.

Background

Rescape had been delivering immersive therapies for over three years. DR.VR™, a pain and anxiety product, was licensed and deployed with over 100 VR headset licences into healthcare environments across the UK. The software is a class one medical device with content informed by cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behavioural therapy. The system was designed to work out of the box and included a rigorous decontamination protocol. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rescape provided headsets to frontline staff working in intensive care settings and collaborated with the Centre for Trials Research and Cwm Taff University Health Board to undertake a brief evaluation of DR.VR™. Through this work, a logic model was developed mapping content components to hypothesised mechanisms of action, and with additional input from a clinical psychologist, an eight-part relaxation course was created.

In 2022, Rescape formally launched an immersive therapy solution aimed at helping NHS staff reduce stress and anxiety and reduce burnout. This underwent a service-wide evaluation within Cwm Taff University Health Board, and the product made an impact in several hospitals. The next stage of development was to advance the platform to co-create a specific mental health product available to a wider and more diverse audience. The project sought to investigate new approaches to supporting people’s mental health, primarily anxiety and mental resilience, how these therapies could be deployed, and what innovation was required to deliver them at scale.

Based in South Wales

Based in South Wales, VR-MELODY was an industry-led award and was run in South Wales. The sponsor was Rescape Innovation, and the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University co-ordinated the research.

Study design

This study was split into three phases. In phase 1, focus groups were undertaken to determine priorities for a personalised VR therapeutic solution, including identification of key components for a VR therapeutic and user-testing requirements. The information gathered in phase 1 was used to inform the development and prototyping of a new VR intervention. In phase 3, at-home user testing, alongside focus groups and interviews, was conducted to refine the intervention in collaboration with stakeholders. If the new VR therapeutic was acceptable to the different people involved, plans were developed to design a future study and apply for funding to assess whether VR-MELODY could support people experiencing symptoms of anxiety and build mental resilience.

Participants

Participants included people with lived experience of anxiety alongside professionals supporting adults affected by anxiety, including those working in the voluntary sector. In total, 34 participants took part in co-production focus groups, made up of a mix of people with lived experience and professionals working within the voluntary sector (Hafod Housing). A further 38 people took part in user-testing, again involving a mix of participants, some of whom had also taken part in a co-production workshop.

Study videos

• Overview: https://vimeo.com/1055625151/0cea9fbe2e
• Walk through: https://vimeo.com/1088311087
• Robin, AI Innovation Consultant: https://vimeo.com/1074215689/af57656f4b
• Jake, project participant: https://vimeo.com/1055185351/19b046750a
• Kim, research lead: https://vimeo.com/1057776522/9b7afac52a

For further information email the study team at VRMelody@cardiff.ac.uk

Follow us on twitter @VR_Melody_Wales