VRNavigSS: A Two-dimensionality Virtual Reality System for Depression Level Detection

Abstract

Depression is a severe mental illness that can lead to negative moods and activities. The traditional clinical approach for diagnosing depression is face-to-face consultation, which is limited by time and space. Virtual Reality (VR), as a novel technology with higher accessibility and lower cost, can serve as an effective digital approach to diagnosing psychological disorders. In VR systems, users are exposed to various experimental scenarios, gaining immersive and interactive experiences. Recent research has demonstrated a relationship between depression and low spatial memory navigation ability (SMNA). Based on these considerations, we propose a VR system to detect one’s depression level by measuring spatial memory navigation performances. The system consists of three virtual scenarios with different spatial scales and dimensions. To study the system’s effectiveness, a pilot study with eight participants was conducted. The results showed differences in the participants’ spatial memory navigation performances in the three scenarios and a correlation between depression level and their spatial memory navigation performances.