Development of a Social Skills Training Programme Using Virtual Reality Technology in Municipal Mental Health Services

Abstract

Background People with severe mental illness often have a small or no network of friends and limited contact with their family and live social isolated lives. We developed a social skills training programme to be administered by public mental health professionals in helping those with mental illness to overcome their social isolation. Methods The programme was developed over three years in close collaboration among psychologists, service users, municipal mental health professionals, mental health service researchers and a local firm providing virtual reality (VR) training. Results The mental health professionals acknowledge the potential this technology represents, and the first pilot study is currently being conducted. Even before the pilot study is completed, some of the staff have been able to use VR technology in meetings with service users when deemed suitable. Conclusion Several factors made adoption and implementation of VR technology possible in a relatively short timeframe: namely, the municipality and service users were involved from the beginning of the process, efforts were made to introduce VR to mental health professionals and allow them to reflect on its usability, solutions were low-tech and low cost, and the long-term research collaboration was established without municipal financial obligations.