Trash It, Punch It, Burn It – Using Virtual Reality to Support Coping with Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts are a widespread everyday experience. Failures to appropriately cope with negative thoughts are related to serious mental health issues, such as depression. Consequently, preventive technology-mediated everyday interventions to support coping with negative thoughts are of interest. One promising platform for mental health applications is personalized virtual reality (VR). We developed an explorative VR prototype based on personally relevant textual messages from email, messengers and alike, which trigger negative thoughts. The prototype presented these messages in VR and allowed to physically manipulate them, for example, by physically punching and trashing them. A qualitative empirical exploration (N=10) revealed a general positive shift in thoughts and emotions after using the prototype, mainly in form of increased relaxation and self-reflection. Based on this and further insights, we derive four themes for VR in mental health, touching upon the importance of personalization, immersion and focus, interaction design and embodiment, as well as, integration into everyday life.