Virtu-act: a virtual reality program for mental health stigma

Stigma reduction is a key objective in mental health policies. In the present study, a virtual reality programme, called Virtu-ACT, based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was created to promote psychological flexibility and reduce stigma in university students. The research was pretest-posttest randomized controlled experimental trial. A total of 208 students from the Faculty of Education of the University of Almeria participated. The experimental group (N = 143) went through Virtu-ACT and the control group (N = 67) used a virtual reality programme unrelated to mental health. A pre-, post- and one-week follow-up was conducted and two stigma assessment questionnaires, the Attributional Questionnaire Abbreviated Version (AQ-14) and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Stigma (AAQ-S), were used. Results showed that the experimental group significantly increased psychological flexibility and reduced stigma. These results were maintained at follow-up. The significance of these results and the usefulness of using new technologies in this field are discussed.