At the World Economic Conference in January 2023, while in the metaverse, I explained how we could solve the mental health crisis in it.
The metaverse is a 3D model of the Internet1, where your personal avatar can interact with other avatars on-demand and in a space that can be designed for, among other things, mental health care.
Some people believe that the absence of person-to-person contact will be entirely disadvantageous, but the metaverse can provide many distinct advantages. In fact, it is estimated that in 2026, 25% of people worldwide will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse.
Accessibility and affordability
The metaverse offers the opportunity for care to be accessible and affordable2. Institutions will not have to pay huge fees to purchase land or to build buildings. Though the initial cost of building a specialized metaverse may be large, the eventual costs over time will be much smaller, and patients can access care whenever needed.
Architecture
When someone’s avatar is in a space that is healing, the healing can transfer to the actual person. For example, several studies have demonstrated that nature-based virtual reality transfers from the body that thinks it is in nature to the body that is watching this from a chair3,4. And the Architectural Study Project taught us that architectural principles could influence mental health5. Interiors can also impact mental health, with some people preferring angles and others rounded contours6. Imagine if institutions studied this and flexibly changed their virtual architecture. Imagine if you could customize an environment to look exactly as you wanted.
Consciousness transformation
Virtual reality can be used to create non-ordinary states of consciousness7. And there is extensive evidence to show that mindfulness and transcendental meditative states (which produce non-ordinary states of consciousness) can be helpful at a genetic and cellular level8,9. Mind-altering substances like psychedelics have also positively influenced mental health and immunity10,11. Art that induces these states of consciousness can be presented in the metaverse.
Community
A recent study found that nurturing environments can protect people who are genetically predisposed to depression12. Social support significantly impacts mental health13. The metaverse can be a place where communities gather and people support one another. By creating these environments now, we can replace some of the deterring aspects of Web 2.0.
Personalized care
Metaverse interactions can be an additional form of digital phenotyping, and by understanding user variables, patients can get certain kinds of care that are personally matched to them. Personalized medicine is an increasingly high priority14. The metaverse will allow people to store their data in the metaverse and match this to personalized interventions created in the metaverse. Therapeutic art can be matched to individuals based on their preferences, for example.
Beauty
Viewing beautiful art can decrease stress15. One study showed that after visiting a museum, two emotions, ‘absorbed’ and ‘enlightened,’ increased pre-post session disproportionately to the others16. While these are not typical emotions, they certainly would benefit mental health.
Safe context for social anxiety disorder
Interacting with an avatar may decrease social anxiety17. It may also increase the motivation for people to speak to others18. Also, people who are afraid of public speaking may be less anxious if they cannot be seen and instead are represented by an avatar.
THE BASICS
Avatars as creative vehicles
One study indicated that if you embody the identity of an eccentric poet, as opposed to a rigid librarian, it can improve your creative abilities19. Also, when you have a negative stereotype about ageing, this can make you age faster20. In the metaverse, your avatar can be a representation of a person that you want to embody. As a result, you may be able to embody the qualities of someone who feels better than you which could improve your mental health.
Stigma reduction
A recent study indicated that VR could reduce the stigma associated with mental illness21. An animated story with a protagonist who experiences stigma associated with mental illness can help. Immersive virtual reality is the only way to reduce stigma, but can help.
These nine advantages are factors that medical systems can leverage when constructing services in the metaverse. Globally, 70% of people with mental illness receive no medical care.22 The metaverse is a potential solution to this lack of access, with several mechanisms that could make a big difference in the lives of people with mental illness.
