TY  - JOUR
AU  - Fujita, Junichi
AU  - Takayama, Mizuho
AU  - Kamono, Emi
AU  - Shinoda, Satoru
AU  - Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki
AU  - Moroga, Tomoko
AU  - Ishii, Mio
AU  - Miyazaki, Tomoyuki
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/5/30
TI  - 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
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e74401
VL  - 9
KW  - virtual reality
KW  - social interaction
KW  - adolescents
KW  - mental health
KW  - case series
KW  - peer support
KW  - therapeutic facilitation
AB  - 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. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e74401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/74401
DO  - 10.2196/74401
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/74401
ER  -