The technology that took you back to the sinking of the Titanic is now used to protect the mental health of young people in care.

Immersive reality is the order of the day. In cultural spaces, these experiences help bring people closer to artists like Gustav Klimt and his works, or give them an insight into what it was like on the Titanic's final voyage . But they're also being used in other areas, such as healthcare.

The Catalan Hospital Sant Joan de Déu is participating with Suara Corporativa in a pilot test to improve the mental health of a group of young people .

This program, called Resilients , launched last October and will run until July. During this time, seven young people in care and former care, aged 16 to 21, with mental disorders, each participate in two months of individual intervention sessions. The goal is to address issues such as relaxation and self-regulation skills and cognitive stimulation, as well as therapeutic aspects such as emotional recognition and management, social skills, and coping with traumatic experiences.

The hospital itself explains that this is a deinstitutionalization model adapted to young people with severe mental disorders and psychosocial vulnerability, who in this case belong to a unit called Acompanya'm . The goal is to provide them with tools and strategies to successfully navigate the transition to adulthood .

Despite its usefulness, it is a complement to the various interventions carried out with patients. Pau Ibáñez , a psychologist at Suara Cooperativa, emphasizes that it is not a therapy in itself.

To achieve this, they rely on this immersive reality and a multidisciplinary team of social and clinical professionals, both from the hospital and the participating company.

"The Resilients project is designed based on the theoretical foundations of a trauma therapy model, specifically the Child and Adolescent Systemic Trauma Therapy model of Barudy and Dantagnan. This model consists of three blocks that primarily focus on the patient's attunement and self-regulation, their empowerment and executive functions, and finally, where appropriate, the resilient integration of traumas that occurred during childhood," explains this expert.

Ibáñez comments that immersive reality allows the projection of different realities , both real and fictional, that adapt to the needs of young people, always in a controlled context and with the support of a psychology professional .

"The projection in the room is 360º, which creates a sense of reality and evokes real emotions . An added value is that specific scenes can be recorded for the session , based on the needs detected in the room and respecting the patient's progress," he explains. From this visualization, different objectives can be achieved or activities can be carried out that stimulate both physical and cognitive functions .

To run this program, they needed a 360º projector and a room with white walls , allowing them to display relevant audiovisual content through an app. Thanks to this app, which is used on a device like a tablet , the professional and patient can select and sequence the content, adjusting elements such as brightness or rewinding or fast-forwarding the video being displayed. "Furthermore, through the app we can also move and focus the content reflected on the walls, depending on what we want to emphasize, thanks to 360º technology," he adds.

The displayed content is customized based on tastes and needs, so an interview and a series of questionnaires are conducted first. Subsequently, during the intervention process, indicators are collected and monitored , allowing professionals to evaluate the immersive reality intervention at the end of the pilot test.