Exploring the impact of immersive virtual reality on depression knowledge and stigma reduction: a cross-over RCT fMRI study.

The stigma of mental illness is a form of negative judgmental knowledge and is a barrier to individual seeking treatment. Contact-based educational interventions with first-person perspective (1PP) combined with immersive virtual reality (IVR) is promising as an anti-stigma intervention. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of 1PP anti-stigma IVR intervention compared to video in enhancing depression knowledge and reducing stigma, as well as to examine the corresponding depression knowledge brain activity change using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Public Stigma Related to People With Mental Health Conditions Among Japanese Company Employees.

Background: The public stigma related to mental illness is the general public's negative misconceptions about people with mental health conditions (PMHCs). The public stigma of mental illness is detrimental to PMHC as it leads to loss of opportunities and unemployment. The aim of the study was to clarify the status of public stigma related to PMHC, focusing on knowledge about mental illness and social distance concerning PMHC.

Effect of a Virtual Reality Contact-Based Educational Intervention on the Public Stigma of Depression: Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Background: Public stigma against depression contributes to low employment rates among individuals with depression. Contact-based educational (CBE) interventions have been shown to reduce this public stigma.

Objective: We investigated the ability of our Virtual Reality Antistigma (VRAS) app developed for CBE interventions to reduce the stigma of depression.