COVER STORY
A NEW WAY TO SEE THE FUTURE Our young people are experiencing worrying levels of mental ill health, but an initiative that uses technology to treat a range of disorders is showing positive signs, and the tech is available here on the Sunshine Coast.
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weet birdsong floats softly by as a gentle wave of cool air tickles your face. Escaping reality has never been easy, but this beautiful winter wonderland, enveloping you in a comforting hug, provides the mind and soul with much-needed respite. As you hesitantly close the door on this magical vista, you will find yourself eager to discover what is next on this unique globe-trotting journey. Another turn of the door handle and you’re in the belly of a tropical jungle. Oversized green leaves form a canopy above and you spy the blue sky peeking through the thick vegetation. Psychological studies regularly highlight the powerful effect the natural environment has on the mind. The ‘biophilia hypothesis’ centres on the observation that a connection with the planet’s natural state – the sound of running water, the sensation of earth underfoot – assists in stress reduction, and improves mental wellbeing overall. To free the mind of burden simply by stepping through a door is the ultimate gift for people living with depression, anxiety, sensory overload or autism.
10 My Weekly Preview | July 28, 2022
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Welcome to the Edge of the Present – a virtual reality (VR) environment for mental heath that is being rolled out in community regions in a world-first initiative. It’s first stop is right here on the Sunshine Coast. Edge of the Present (EOTP), is an innovative and powerful non-therapeutic tool designed as a 10-minute experience, where users are invited to explore multiple spectacular landscapes using mixed-reality software, with the aim of improving mood, wellbeing and positive future thinking. Through these embodied virtual explorations, the user learns that openness and curiosity lead to positively reinforcing experiences which can enrich their internal space. The installation project, funded by the Suicide Prevention Research Fund, was developed for The Big Anxiety Festival in 2019 and created by University of New South Wales Scientia Professor Jill Bennett and supported by Professor Katherine Boydell from the Black Dog Institute. “This research is the first to assess the effectiveness of such an immersive mixed-reality experience as an intervention for depression and hopelessness. It does so by rapidly increasing positive mood and stimulating positive future thinking,” Prof
“The challenges that … young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate” Tanya Bell, Youturn
Bennett says. The experience aims to cultivate the capacity for future thinking by encouraging positive actions that are rewarded in an instant feedback loop. “The experience is not just a passive one but involves the user making choices to
open doors and windows… each choice is rewarded by positive sensation. So, for example, you open a door and feel the breeze on your face, or step out into the warmth of a sun-baked meadow. “On the one hand it’s relentlessly positive. There are all these beautiful scenes, it’s impossible not to like. But on the other hand, it’s important that the user has agency and that this very positive sensation, and this amazingly beautiful resplendent scene, is coming as a result of your direct action.” The EOTP VR equipment is available until the end of September free of charge to the community thanks to local not-forprofit mental health organisation Youturn. The Youturn team works with young people cross a range of issues including child safety, suicide prevention and homelessness. Youturn CEO Dr Tanya Bell says the program presents an innovative solution to help support young people. “Young people are less likely than any other age group to seek professional help,” Dr Bell says. “At times young people struggle with traditional talk therapy methods in a typical clinical environment. myweeklypreview.com.au
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