VR Health Experience: A Virtual Space for Arts and Psychomotor Therapy.

Suzanne Haeyen,Nathalie Jans,Marleen Glas,Joep Kolijn

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704613

Suzanne Haeyen, Nathalie Jans + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704613

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Abstract

Introduction: Mental health and well-being are under pressure because of the corona pandemic. Arts and psychomotor therapists said that they had almost no experience with working online, but despite the fact that they felt incapable, they were positive towards it.Method: This qualitative action research was aimed at how arts and psychomotor therapists can become more skilled in offering online arts and psychomotor therapy and how they can methodically enlist the VR Health Experience (a virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space) in therapy. It is envisaged that the arts and psychomotor therapist could be telepresent in order to offer arts and psychomotor therapy remotely. In online training that made use of the Lean Startup Method, participants (n = 5) integrated their working knowledge with the VR Health Experience. The interventions were immediately tested by the participants and in practice. Participants were interviewed retrospectively and their experiences were thematically analysed.Results: The VR Health Experience came forward as an innovative addition to the usual arts and psychomotor therapy. Often, clients were encouraged to play and experiment, and the VR world offered several options. The VR Health Experience lowered the threshold, expanded the training areas and held a great attraction for play.Discussion: This project offered an innovative quality boost for arts and psychomotor therapy. Arts and psychomotor therapy have proven to be possible remotely via telepresence of the therapist. The therapist is present together with the client in the VR Health Experience, the virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space, where connectedness can be felt and new experiences can be gained. VR also offers further possibilities in arts and psychomotor therapy.

Highlights

Mental health and well-being are under pressure because of the corona pandemic
The results indicated that the therapists foresee substantial potential in the novel Virtual Reality (VR) medium for art therapy, and highlighted further research directions needed to determine how the virtual medium can be used to treat real-world problems
At the end of the project all participants were asked to rate a number of statements relating to the use of digital means and giving online arts therapy, using a 5-point answer scale (1 = “disagree completely” to 5 = “agree completely”)

Summary

Introduction

Mental health and well-being are under pressure because of the corona pandemic. Arts and psychomotor therapists said that they had almost no experience with working online, but despite the fact that they felt incapable, they were positive towards it. The COVID-19 measures have a huge influence on society This applies all the more to vulnerable groups, such as people with psychological or psychiatric diagnoses or symptoms. Their health and welfare is under pressure. On account of these same measures, treatments of various target groups in mental health care are delayed or temporarily put on hold. Arts and psychomotor therapies have an experiential, action-oriented, creative quality. These therapies methodically and purposefully use various forms of work, materials, instruments, and attributes (Malchiodi, 2012; American Art Therapy Association (AATA), 2021; British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT), 2021). Arts and psychomotor therapies have a long history of clinical success with various populations and there is a limited but growing and promising increase of scientific support for the intervention strategies and theoretical models involved (e.g., CzamanskiCohen and Weihs, 2016; Kaimal et al, 2016, 2017; Haeyen, 2018; Haeyen et al, 2018; King and Parada, 2021)

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