The promise of the metaverse in mental health: the new era of MEDverse

Cerasa, Antonio; Gaggioli, Andrea; Marino, Flavia; Riva, Giuseppe; Pioggia, Giovanni

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11762

Cited by 63 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg proposed a new era for the Internet in which individuals would be immersed in a new digital experience known as the metaverse [68][69][70] . In his words, the "deep sense of presence" that comes from the fusion between the virtual world and the physical one should transform our communication and social connections.…”

Section: Metaverse: Digital Communities Meet the "We-mode"mentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for the Metaverse: Neuroscience of Physical and Digital Communities

Riva

Wiederhold

Mantovani

2024

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

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What distinguishes real-world communities from their online counterparts? Social and cognitive neuroscience research on social networks and collective intentionality will be used in the paper to answer this question.Physical communities are born in places. And places engage "we-mode" neurobiological and cognitive processes as behavioral synchrony, shared attention, deliberate attunement, inter-brain synchronization, etc., which create coherent social networks of very different individuals who are supported by a "wisdom of crowd".Digital technologies remove physical boundaries, giving people more freedom to choose their activities and groups. At the same time, however, the lack of physical co-presence of community members significantly reduces their possibility of activating "we-mode" cognitive processes and social motivation. Because of this, unlike physical communities that allows interaction between people from varied origins and stories, digital communities are always made up of people who have the same interests and knowledge (communities of practice). This new situation disrupts the "wisdom of crowd", making the community more radical and less accurate (polarization effect), allowing influential users to wield disproportionate influence over the group's beliefs, and producing inequalities in the distribution of social capital. However, a new emergent technology -the Metaverse -has the potential to reverse this trend. Several studies have revealed that virtual and augmented reality -the major technologies underlying the Metaverse -can engage the same neurobiological and cognitive "we-mode" processes as real-world environments. If the many flaws in this technology are fixed, it might encourage people to engage in more meaningful and constructive interactions in online communities. Seaching for the Metaverse: Neuroscience of Physical and Digital Communities"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.

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Section: Metaverse: Digital Communities Meet the "We-mode"mentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for the Metaverse: Neuroscience of Physical and Digital Communities

Riva

Wiederhold

Mantovani

2024

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

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“…Evidence suggests that avatars that resemble their users lead to higher reported selfpresence and realism than users embodied as uniform avatars (65). In clinical applications of the metaverse, realism and selfpresence may prove to be significant in treatment outcomes, specifically in disciplines like psychiatry (66). Allowing users to authentically represent themselves in the Metaverse with phenotypic variety that spans across identities could be a simple and effective solution to support and encourage diversity, inclusion, and belonging.…”

Section: Concerns Regarding Accessibility and Equity Of The Metaverse...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking modern psychiatry into the metaverse: Integrating augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies into psychiatric care

Ford

Buchanan

Azeez

et al. 2023

Front. Digit. Health

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The landscape of psychiatry is ever evolving and has recently begun to be influenced more heavily by new technologies. One novel technology which may have particular application to psychiatry is the metaverse, a three-dimensional digital social platform accessed via augmented, virtual, and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR). The metaverse allows the interaction of users in a virtual world which can be measured and manipulated, posing at once exciting new possibilities and significant potential challenges and risks. While the final form of the nascent metaverse is not yet clear, the immersive simulation and holographic mixed reality-based worlds made possible by the metaverse have the potential to redefine neuropsychiatric care for both patients and their providers. While a number of applications for this technology can be envisioned, this article will focus on leveraging the metaverse in three specific domains: medical education, brain stimulation, and biofeedback. Within medical education, the metaverse could allow for more precise feedback to students performing patient interviews as well as the ability to more easily disseminate highly specialized technical skills, such as those used in advanced neurostimulation paradigms. Examples of potential applications in brain stimulation and biofeedback range from using AR to improve precision targeting of non-invasive neuromodulation modalities to more innovative practices, such as using physiological and behavioral measures derived from interactions in VR environments to directly inform and personalize treatment parameters for patients. Along with promising future applications, we also discuss ethical implications and data security concerns that arise when considering the introduction of the metaverse and related AR/VR technologies to psychiatric research and care.

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“…This type of therapy has been found to be effective for treating anxiety disorders, such as phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (15,16) • Virtual reality-based cognitive behavioral therapy for depression: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that focuses on helping patients identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors. Virtual reality-based CBT involves using virtual reality simulations to help Metaverse Basic and Applied Research.…”

Section: Potential Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The metaverse may also provide new opportunities for people to engage in activities that promote mental well-being, such as mindfulness or meditation practices, or to access mental health resources and support. (16,23) On the negative side, the metaverse may also pose risks to mental health if it is not used in a healthy and balanced way. For example, excessive use of the metaverse or reliance on it for social interactions may lead to social isolation or addiction.…”

Section: Metaverse and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The future of health in the metaverse

Díaz-Chieng¹,

Auza-Santiváñez²,

Castillo³

2022

Metaverse Basic and Applied Research

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El metaverso es un espacio digital tridimensional inmersivo; las concepciones sobre su naturaleza y organización evolucionado, y cada vez se hace más hincapié en la evolución desde considerar el metaverso como una versión ampliada de un único mundo virtual hasta una amplia red de un número infinito de mundos interconectados. El objetivo de este artículo es describir el potencial del metaverso en la atención médica. Una posible característica de la consulta de un médico en el metaverso podría ser el uso de tecnología de realidad virtual para crear entornos de tratamiento inmersivos y personalizados para los pacientes. El médico también podría utilizar herramientas de realidad virtual para mostrar opciones de tratamiento o procedimientos, o para proporcionar material educativo. Existen varias aplicaciones potenciales del metaverso en medicina, incluido el uso de la realidad virtual y otras tecnologías inmersivas. Algunos ejemplos son: Terapia de exposición en realidad virtual para trastornos de ansiedad; terapia cognitivo-conductual basada en realidad virtual para la depresión; rehabilitación y fisioterapia basadas en realidad virtual; tratamiento del dolor en realidad virtual; y educación y formación en realidad virtual. El metaverso puede permitir un acceso más eficiente y cómodo a la atención, sobre todo para los pacientes que viven en zonas remotas o desatendidas. Estas plataformas contribuirán a experiencias de tratamiento más personalizadas e inmersivas, ya que la tecnología de realidad virtual puede utilizarse para crear entornos y experiencias a medida para los pacientes. De igual forma existe preocupación la privacidad y la seguridad de los pacientes, y los ciberataques.

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The promise of the metaverse in mental health: the new era of MEDverse

Cited by 63 publications

References 70 publications

Searching for the Metaverse: Neuroscience of Physical and Digital Communities

Searching for the Metaverse: Neuroscience of Physical and Digital Communities

Taking modern psychiatry into the metaverse: Integrating augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies into psychiatric care

The future of health in the metaverse

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