Dreadphobia: Evaluating the Usability of a Virtual Reality Application in Support of Mental Health

Mental health disparities within African American communities are a significant concern, as research shows that they often receive poor quality care and lack access to culturally competent mental health services due to various barriers. Culturally responsive care can be facilitated through the integration of virtual reality (VR) technology, which has become more accessible and affordable in recent years. This research aims to design, develop, and evaluate the usability of Dreadphobia, a VR application built in Unity cross-platform engine, that provides evidence-based information and resources about mental and behavioral issues in African American communities in an engaging way. The Meta Quest 2 headset was used to create a VR escape room environment that allows individuals to explore and find hidden facts about different mental health illnesses surrounding Black communities. The application has gamification features such as music, sound effects, teleportation, and scoring. The goal is to bring awareness to mental health disparities within African American communities and help individuals with mental illnesses seek treatment. This study aimed to test the functionality of Dreadphobia and identify areas of confusion in the user experience, as well as uncover opportunities for improvement. Out of a total of nine participants who evaluated the system, two of them rated it poorly, indicating that there were issues with its performance. However, despite this negative feedback, the average SUS score given by all participants was 74.44, which is above average and falls between a good and excellent rating. Although there are areas for improvement, the pilot study had promising results, and this research is a positive step toward creating a more equitable and comprehensive mental health learning tool accessible to everyone.