Staying Well XR

在英国，数以百万计的人受到双相情感障碍（BD）、精神病和抑郁症等心理健康状况的影响。这些情况对患者和他们的照顾者都有重大影响；尤其是影响他们的就业、休闲和人际关系。据估计，英国国家医疗服务体系每年仅用于治疗双相障碍的费用就高达20亿英镑，而在英国，与双相障碍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并且他们的状况“在汇款”时，NICE的一项关键建议是“复发预防”工作，并辅以各种干预措施，包括“保持健康计划”。在精神卫生专业人员的指导下，服务使用者了解自己的症状，确定与健康不良有关的症状模式，称为“复发特征”。确定了有效的应对策略，以支持保持健康。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，大多数服务用户觉得它很吸引人，也很有用。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，高质量的卡片管理是耗时的，制定一个引人注目和令人难忘的“保持健康计划”通常是由治疗师而不是服务用户领导的。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性化、令人难忘的或服务用户可访问的。相比之下，那些在治疗师的轻度指导下由服务用户开发的服务可能更有个人意义和令人难忘，特别是在更沉浸式的环境中提供时。StayingWell XR使用了一个沉浸式环境，服务用户可以探索和学习自我识别他们可能正在经历心理健康状况复发的迹象；无论是双相障碍、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“复发特征”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，并匿名地与处于类似情况的其他人分享他们的经历。我们将撰写一份可行性报告，评估应用程序的可用性，将其置于与我们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发展步骤的建议，包括进入市场的最佳途径。

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.