%0 Journal Article
%@ 2561-326X
%I JMIR Publications
%V 9
%N 
%P e74401
%T Insights From the Nihon Housou Kyoukai’s Virtual Reality–Based Social Interaction Television Program “Project Aliens” for Adolescents With Psychiatric Disorders: Single-Center Case Series Study
%A Fujita,Junichi
%A Takayama,Mizuho
%A Kamono,Emi
%A Shinoda,Satoru
%A Yamaguchi,Hiroyuki
%A Moroga,Tomoko
%A Ishii,Mio
%A Miyazaki,Tomoyuki
%+ Department of Child Psychiatry, Yokohama City University Hospital, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, , Japan, 81 45 787 2800, jun1182@yokohama-cu.ac.jp
%K virtual reality
%K social interaction
%K adolescents
%K mental health
%K case series
%K peer support
%K therapeutic facilitation
%D 2025
%7 30.5.2025
%9 Original Paper
%J JMIR Form Res
%G English
%X Background: Virtual reality (VR) technology is emerging as a tool in mental health care, providing a safe space for social interaction and therapeutic engagement. A social VR-based television program broadcast on Japanese public television offers a virtual environment where adolescents with mental health challenges can engage in peer support using alien avatars, reducing barriers to communication and encouraging emotional expression. Objective: This case series aimed to document the psychological trajectories of adolescents with psychiatric disorders participating in a social VR-based television program. Methods: A single-center case series was conducted with 3 adolescents with psychiatric disorders (aged 15, 18, and 19 years) who participated in the social VR-based television program. The study focused on examining patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including psychological measures and qualitative experiences, and clinical observations across program participation and broadcast viewing. Psychological measures, including the Japanese versions of the 3-item Short-Form University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS3-J SF-3), the 14-item Resilience Scale, short form (RS-14), and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), were assessed at 3 time points: baseline, prebroadcast, and postbroadcast. Qualitative analysis of participant dialogue explored themes of self-disclosure, emotional expression, and social dynamics. Results: Participants showed improvements in loneliness, resilience, and depressive symptoms after participating in the social VR-based program, as indicated by psychological measures and PROs. Qualitative analysis suggested that the structured facilitation embedded in the program enabled participants to express positive and negative emotions, promoting self-reflection and mutual support. Conclusions: This case series suggests that structured social VR programs can provide a supportive platform for emotional exploration and psychological growth among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. The combination of avatar-based interaThis case series suggests that structured social VR-based programs can provide a supportive platform for emotional exploration and psychological growth among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. The combination of avatar-based interaction and therapeutic facilitation may offer a novel approach to engaging young people in mental health care, particularly during waiting periods for traditional psychiatric services.ction and therapeutic facilitation may offer a novel approach to engaging young people in mental health care, particularly during waiting periods for traditional psychiatric services. 
%R 10.2196/74401
%U https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e74401
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/74401