Staying Well XR

英国有数百万人受到双相情感障碍（BD），精神病和抑郁症等精神健康状况的影响。这些情况对经历这些情况的人及其照顾者都有重大影响;特别是影响他们的就业，休闲和关系。NHS每年单独管理BD的成本估计为20亿英镑，而在英国，与BD相关的更广泛的社会成本估计每年超过60亿英镑。当服务使用者身体健康且病情“缓解”时，NICE的一个关键建议是“预防复发”工作，并辅以各种干预措施，包括“保持健康计划”。在心理健康专业人员的指导下，服务用户了解他们的症状，识别与发展不健康相关的症状模式，称为“复发特征”。确定有效的应对策略，以支持保持良好。一种常用的复发预防方法是早期预警信号（EWS）卡片分类任务。使用卡片分类的治疗师证实，大多数服务用户都觉得它很有吸引力和有用。COVID-19的限制促使我们团队的首席研究员将这项任务数字化。这种数字概念验证使临床医生能够在提供远程治疗时有效地进行卡片分类。然而，卡片分类的高质量管理是耗时的，并且制定一个令人信服和难忘的“保持健康计划”通常由治疗师而不是服务用户领导。由于服务需求，这些计划通常是在巨大的时间压力下制定的，并且可能不是最佳的个人，难忘或服务用户可访问的。相比之下，那些在治疗师的指导下由用户开发的服务可能更有意义和难忘，特别是在更身临其境的环境中提供时。StayingWell XR使用沉浸式环境，服务用户可以探索和学习自我识别他们可能正在经历精神健康状况复发的迹象;无论是BD，精神病还是抑郁症。我们的可行性研究将提供一个可穿戴的虚拟现实（VR）软件，允许服务用户探索他们的“复发签名”和应对策略，无论是否有治疗师。他们将能够采取适当的行动来避免潜在的破坏性事件，并匿名与其他处于类似情况的人分享他们的经历。我们将撰写一份可行性报告，评估该应用程序的可用性，将其置于与我们的方法相邻的心理健康产品的更大竞争格局中。该报告将为我们的项目提出进一步的发展步骤，包括最佳的市场途径。

Millions of people in the UK are affected by mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder (BD), psychosis and depression. These conditions have significant impact on both those who experience them and their carers; particularly impacting their employment, leisure, and relationships. The annual cost to the NHS of managing BD alone is estimated to be £2 billion, while the wider societal costs associated with the condition in the UK have been estimated at over £6 billion annually.When service users are well and their condition is 'in remittance', a key NICE recommendation is 'relapse prevention' work, supported by various interventions including 'Staying Well Plans'. Guided by mental health professionals, service users learn about their symptoms, identifying patterns of symptoms associated with developing ill health called 'relapse signatures'. Effective coping strategies are identified to support staying well. One commonly used relapse prevention method is the Early Warning Signs (EWS) card-sort task. Therapists using card-sorting confirm that most service users find it engaging and useful.The COVID-19 restrictions prompted our team's lead researcher to digitise the task. This digital proof-of-concept enabled clinicians to effectively carry out the card-sort when delivering remote therapy. However, high quality administration of the card-sort is time-consuming, and developing a compelling and memorable Staying Well Plan is often led by the therapist rather than by the service user. These plans are often developed under significant time pressure due to service demands, and may not be optimally personal, memorable, or accessible to service users. In contrast, those that are service user-developed under light guidance of the therapist may be more individually meaningful and memorable, especially when delivered in a more immersive setting. StayingWell XR uses an immersive environment where service users can explore and learn to self-identify signs they may be experiencing a relapse of their mental health condition; be it BD, psychosis or depression. Our feasibility study will deliver a wearable Virtual Reality (VR) software allowing service users to explore their 'relapse signatures' and coping strategies with and without a therapist. They will be able to take appropriate action to avert a potentially damaging episode, and anonymously share their experiences with others in a similar situation. We will write a feasibility report evaluating the app's usability, situating it in the larger competitive landscape of mental health products adjacent to our approach. The report will recommend further development steps for our project, including an optimal route to market.