Virtual Choirs in Care Homes: A networked XR therapeutic singing intervention to improve mental health

合唱已成为一种与改善心理健康相关的流行活动，据报道，2017年英国有210万人在合唱团中唱歌，合唱团越来越多地被用作改善健康和生活质量的治疗干预。然而，有些社区无法获得集体歌唱干预，这可能是昂贵的，并且在设施，空间，旅行，合唱团协调员方面受到限制。在新冠肺炎期间，虚拟合唱团变得流行，并为面对面活动提供了“聊胜于无”的解决方案。这不仅突出了集体歌唱对心理健康和幸福的重要性，也强调了聆听和贡献合唱团沉浸式声音的重要性，这是活动的一部分，超越了随之而来的社交互动。没有虚拟合唱团模型可以封装面对面集体歌唱的已知元素，使其如此有益和受欢迎：是项计划将发展多人虚拟现实合唱体验，让安老院舍及痴呆症资源中心的住客可参与合唱活动，犹如置身于真实的合唱团。使用定制的预先录制的唱歌体验允许这是一个灵活和响应的治疗工具，不受限制的要求。养老院的工作人员或志愿者将能够通过简单的远程设备（如手机）运行该应用程序，连接到居民佩戴的VR耳机，无论他们在建筑物的任何地方，都可以通过对话进行社交，并沉浸在集体唱歌活动中。我们知道，有效的治疗干预措施最好通过与居民，他们的照顾者，支持健康和社会护理组织。我们的方法与我们的合作伙伴阿尔茨海默氏症苏格兰，克莱顿信托，约克大学，以及我们与苏格兰护理和邓弗里斯和加洛韦NHS健康和社会护理合作伙伴关系的现有关系，确保了一个真正的协作知情的方法，以居民为中心的设计解决方案。

Group singing has become a popular activity associated with improved mental health, with 2.1m people reported to be singing in choirs in the UK in 2017, and choirs are increasingly used as a therapeutic intervention to improve wellbeing and quality of life. However, there are whole communities who don't have access to group singing interventions, which can be costly and restrictive in terms of timetabling, space, travel, access to choir facilitators.During Covid-19 virtual choirs became popular and provided a 'better than nothing' solution to the in person activity. This highlighted not only the importance of group singing to mental health and wellbeing, but also emphasised the importance of hearing and contributing to the immersive sound of a choir as part of the benefit of the activity beyond the social interactions that come with it. No virtual choir model can yet encapsulate the known elements of in-person group singing that make it so beneficial and popular: the co-creation of musical sound using the voice and the sense of community and social agency that coming together to sing affords.This project will develop a multi-user virtual reality group singing experience that enables residents in care homes and Dementia Resource Centres to take part in group singing activities as though they are sitting within a real choir. Using bespoke pre-recorded singing experiences allows this to be a flexible and responsive therapeutic tool not constrained by timetabling requirements. Care home staff or volunteers will be able to run the application via a simple remote device such as their phone to connect to VR headsets worn by residents wherever they are in the building allowing them to be socially connected through conversation and be immersed in a group singing activity.We know that effective therapeutic interventions are best shaped and developed through inclusive partnerships and cooperation with residents, their carers, and supporting health and social care organisations. Our approach with our partners Alzheimer Scotland, The Crichton Trust, the University of York, and our existing relationships with Scottish Care and Dumfries and Galloway NHS Health and Social Care Partnership, ensures a truly collaborative informed approach for a resident-centered designed solution.