(Extract from the press release)
Social VR platform The Safe Zone has partnered with HTC’s VIVERSE to develop an immersive social platform specifically designed to support young people’s mental health. This new virtual space provides a safe environment where young people can interact with likeminded people, meet mentors and therapists, and access initial support faster.
The Safe Zone in response to the need for mental health support
The Safe Zone initiative was originally launched by a few friends during the Covid pandemic and developed in response to global research showing there is a real need for early mental health support. In Germany, a representative survey of 2,532 young people conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation in March 2024 found that almost half (46 percent) of 16- to 30-year-olds feel lonely. In this group, 35 percent feel moderately lonely, and around 10 percent feel severely lonely. In the UK, research by NHS England found that by 2023, one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 in England were likely to suffer from a mental disorder.
The potential of immersive technologies to support mental health therapy is being increasingly explored around the world. Initial studies on the use of VR to manage stress and anxiety have shown that health improves over time. In 2023, an analysis of 61 people treated with VR in the Metaverse showed that anxiety (measured with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale) decreased by 34 percent and stress (measured with the Perceived Stress Scale) decreased by 32 percent after the virtual intervention.
The Safe Zone is tailored to the needs of young people and is accessible almost anywhere and on any device.
The platform is designed to enable safe and anonymous interactions via avatars, where users can exchange ideas in a playful environment that is familiar to young people. At the same time, an initial exchange with trained mentors and/or therapists can take place in virtual reality, thereby building a relationship of trust and shortening the time until further therapy begins.
Digital therapy for young people and therapists
The Safe Zone also supports digital therapists who can be connected from any location. They can take on a variety of roles, including as a facilitator in one of The Safe Zone’s rooms, as a mentor or therapist in a dedicated room, or therapeutically as part of follow-up teletherapy. Young people can use realistic VRM avatars or choose more creative designs to remain anonymous.
Petra Dahm, CIO of StellDirVor GmbH and originator of The Safe Zone initiative, says: “I know that being a teenager can feel complicated and lonely. When I was younger, I struggled to balance school and competitive sports – this ended in eating disorders. I know first-hand how important it is to understand that you are not alone and – more importantly – to find help. When I saw the ever-increasing number of teenagers affected by mental health issues during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, I was really touched. When you think about the impact we can have by providing young people with a safe place to meet in their ‘world’, find community again, make friends and have access to people they trust, it can mean a lot for their future lives – and for the people around them, such as parents, schools and society at large.”
HTC VIVE XR Elite
“We have spoken to many schools that have shown great interest in using The Safe Zone regularly. Several associations and NGOs are also showing interest in collaborating – for example for special rooms for people with autism, teenagers with cancer or those who unfortunately have no family. On the other hand, we are lacking many psychiatrists, especially for young people, and it is no longer attractive for young doctors or specialists to run a physical practice. By collaborating with VIVERSE, we believe that The Safe Zone is a sensible solution for many,” explains Petra Dahm.
Modular design
The Safe Zone is integrated into VIVERSE for Business, a spatial collaboration platform that enables unlimited connections. The flexibility of VIVERSE for Business allows The Safe Zone to be customized through a modular design to create functional virtual spaces tailored to the needs of the individual. This flexibility is available across the entire VIVERSE for Business platform.
Rooms for therapy
This includes a Sharing Space, which provides a central seating circle under a large tree, creating a supportive environment for group conversations. A Selfcare Room provides a comfortable retreat for professional meetings between mentors, therapists and individuals in a safe and private reflection space. The third room is a Creative Circle, a place for expression and exchange where people create art, listen to music, develop new ideas, play games, watch videos and much more.
John Dabill, Director of VIVERSE at HTC, commented: “Mental health cannot be underestimated and this collaboration aims to provide support to young people in new ways. The Safe Zone and VIVERSE are creating a functional and flexible platform that will meet the needs of young people through virtual connections and improved access to professional mental health support using immersive technology. We stand for technological innovation that positively impacts people’s lives and The Safe Zone initiative represents our shared vision.”