New VR App Challenges Gamers
to Take On Mental Health
First-of-its-kind Virtual Reality-based experience turns proven therapeutic principles into embodied experiences for players who want to improve their mental health
BehaVR, a leader in science-based digital therapies in Virtual Reality(VR), announced today the launch of First Resort, a game that leverages cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles to help players process feelings of stress, anxiety and sadness as they progress through designed chapters. First Resort is free to players and available for download now on AppLab.
VR is now recognized as a uniquely powerful platform to deliver proven therapies because of its ability to create and control multi-sensory experiences that the brain processes as real, which can allow for carefully orchestrated activation of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems for therapeutic benefit Designed in partnership with leading psychologists, First Resort blends the wonder found in immersive games with practices like mindfulness, values sorting, cognitive restructuring, and goal-setting. The player’s experience is personalized based on individual values and goals, and delivered within an immersive world filled with adventures, companionship, and gamified experiences.
“Gamer exhaustion is a real phenomena. The most popular games today are designed with compulsion loops, completing battle passes, timed events, and other psychological tactics to push players to log in even when they don’t feel like it,” said Shannon Hooper, Chief Strategy and Product Officer at BehaVR. “First Resort is a different VR destination aimed at helping players with mental wellness. It’s a game built to have real-world impact.”
Roughly one billion people are living with a mental health condition globally, including almost 20% of U.S. adults. At any severity level, mental health conditions like depression and anxiety impact quality of life, relationships, livelihood and sense of belonging. First Resort is a wellness product designed to make proven therapeutic principles more interactive and accessible to those looking to process complex feelings in their daily lives.
BehaVR is advancing healthcare access and delivery and improving patient outcomes and experiences through the pioneering use of virtual reality (VR), cloud computing and machine learning. Founded by leading clinicians, healthcare veterans and technology innovators, BehaVR has a proprietary technology platform that enables a personalized and progressive treatment approach that is grounded in decades of neuroscience research and designed to educate, motivate, and activate individuals to make long-term, sustained improvements to their health. For more information, visit www.behavr.com
