The Metaverse – A key emerging technology in the field of Mental Health 

What stirred up conversations all over – from business meetings, to classrooms, to dinner tables – was not the visible change in branding, the move from the big blue-and-white letter F to an infinity shaped symbol, but its mention of something entirely new to most of us: the Metaverse.  

 According to Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, the Metaverse can be described as a collective shared experience which merges the physical and the digital worlds. In other words, it’s a place where "you’ll be able to do almost anything you can imagine — get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create — as well as completely new experiences that don’t really fit how we think about computers or phones today".   

Since 2021, the concept of the Metaverse has continued to evolve and gain momentum. Tech companies, game developers, and innovators have been exploring ways to bring this vision to life, and discussions about its potential impact on various aspects of society have grown, including mental health.   

Context and relevance   

Between 2007 and 2017, there was a 13% increase in mental health conditions and substance use disorders globally, according to the World Health Organization. Despite already being high, this increase was nothing when compared with the alarming numbers seen during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. It's estimated that the pandemic led to a staggering 27.6% increase in cases of major depressive disorders and a 25.6% increase in cases of anxiety disorders worldwide in 2020, leading to  its name of "silent pandemic".   

Besides the most obvious impact on personal well-being, this mental health crisis has brought about other types of socioeconomic implications. Think of, for example, unemployment, socioeconomic inequality, poor physical health, as well as low income, low standards of living and stigma. The World Economic Forum (WEF) projected that mental health conditions will cost the global economy approximately $6 trillion USD by 2030, combined with lost economic productivity, direct costs of care, and increased social costs. According to the WEF, this is more than the projected costs of cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease combined.  

Yet despite these numbers and the rapid growth in mental health conditions, the lack of available resources, shortages of qualified professionals, long wait times for treatment, and inadequate services have made it difficult to provide people  with the help they require and deserve. This has made the need for innovative approaches to mental health care more necessary, including the Metaverse.   

Benefits & challenges  

Navigating and understanding the evolving landscape of mental health care and its intersection with the Metaverse can be a challenging task. You might be wondering: How can a virtual reality environment possibly replace an in-person session with a therapist?  

To gain a deeper understanding of its benefits and possibilities, the World Economic Forum recently released a briefing, 'Top 10 Emerging Technologies Report', listing some of the solutions that the Metaverse could bring about:   

• AI-therapy  

By now we have all reached out to a chatbot or virtual assistant. But what if these artificial intelligence (AI)-driven entities stepped into the role of therapist? AI-therapy has emerged as a new form of personalized counselling. Its ability to analyze large amounts of data about a client's mental health history and generate personalized interventions based on this information positions it a sophisticated replacement, especially with a shortage of mental health professionals.   

• Therapeutic virtual reality  

Therapeutic virtual reality differs from AI-therapy in that it doesn't replace in-person therapy but rather complements it. This technology leverages virtual environments to give patients a controlled simulated experience that is tailored to individuals' needs and preferences. This form of exposure therapy could allow them to gradually confront phobias or treat PTSD, for example.   

• Real-time biometric feedback  

Much of what we experience on the inside manifests in outward expressions as well. Physical responses, such as changes in posture, fidgeting feet or hands, and a quivering voice, all serve as clear examples of this. Biometric feedback in augmented or virtual reality enables to capture these responses more swiftly. But that's not all – advances in this field could also facilitate the personalization of therapy based on these measures, in real time.   

These potential solutions are just a short glimpse at the innovative potential the Metaverse could bring about in mental health, with many more in progress. 

One thing is clear, although potentially full of advantages for individuals struggling with mental health issues, we cannot overlook associated risks. Consider, for instance, the risks related to biases, that might inadvertently affect the fairness of these technologies in regard to race or gender. Additionally, safeguarding personal data privacy is of great importance, as these technologies collect sensitive information. Currently, conversations are ongoing within the European Union about the right to opt in or out of data sharing, a key factor in the European Health Data Space and GDPR. Furthermore, the potential for excessive digital consumption raises concerns about its impact on individuals' wellbeing, often deviating from its intended purpose within the context of mental health and therapy.   

For these reasons, it is important that we continue to conduct thorough assessments of the advantages and pitfalls posed by these emerging technologies.    

Future outlook  

In this article, we have highlighted the significant changes that have taken place since 2021 when Facebook Inc. made headlines by changing its name to Meta. These changes encompass both the emergence of new technologies introduced by the Metaverse as well as shifts in society's perspective on mental health.   

Over the past two years, the European Union and its member states have shown a growing interest and commitment to addressing the topic of mental health. This commitment encompasses societal, economic and health dimensions (read more in our year of mental health post).Within this evolving landscape, it should come as no surprise that the Metaverse and the accompanying emerging solutions are increasingly viewed as potential allies, especially in the face of the underfunded mental health sector. Yet, the timeline for their integration into these efforts remains a topic for ongoing discussion.   

Indeed, while reducing the stigma about mental health is a vital goal, integrating the Metaverse and its associated technologies into this discourse also introduces the complex issue of data privacy and technology use. Striking the right balance between the two is a challenge, but one with great potential.   

From my point of view, we can acknowledge this potential, but we also understand and recognize the need for a more cautious approach. It is important to await the development of clear guidelines and policies at the national and international levels, establishing a framework within which mental health and technology can collaborate effectively.   

In the meantime, at Schuttelaar & Partners we will continue to closely monitor developments across mental health and the Metaverse. Find out more about how our Brussels and Dutch offices commit to monitoring and providing targeted and insightful information on relevant policy topics here. Or read about how we facilitate dialogue with governments, political and social stakeholders here. 

References

https://about.fb.com/news/2021/10/founders-letter/  

https://about.fb.com/news/2021/10/facebook-company-is-now-meta/  

https://about.meta.com/what-is-the-metaverse/  

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/28/technology/facebook-meta-name-change.html  

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Sci_Brief-Mental_health-2022.1  

https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/356119/9789240049338-eng.pdf?sequence=1  

https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1G680000008gweEAA/key-issues/a1G680000008h28EAA 

https://blog.frontiersin.org/2023/06/27/frontiers-and-the-world-economic-forum-collaboration-reveals-the-top-10-emerging-technologies-of-2023-report/#prettyPhoto 

https://www.schuttelaar-partners.com/update/will-2024-be-our-european-year-of-mental-health/2548