Prescribing Virtual Reality

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Michelle Thomas explores how virtual reality can play a part in mental health treatment.

The author and journalist Michelle Thomas discovers innovative ways that people with depression can be supported using technology, including a new virtual reality experience.

Six years ago, Michelle Thomas went into work, started crying, and didn’t stop for two weeks. This was to be her first depressive episode and one that would see her quit her job as a comedy agent and manage life with a mental illness.

Now an author and journalist, Michelle is finding out more about innovative ways that people with depression can be supported using technology, including a new virtual reality experience. By popping on a headset and feeling as though you are scuba diving or relaxing on a beach, patients can temporarily escape their own thoughts and feelings, improving their mood and potentially reducing suicidal feelings. If prescribed on the NHS, it could significantly cut out the amount of time spent in hospital by those struggling with their mental health.

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