Virtually reducing social anxiety disorder in children (VISAKI)

Children who suffer from social anxiety disorder are severely impaired in their school and social life. The anxiety leads to social withdrawal, loneliness and other psychological problems in adulthood. Without early treatment, the disorders usually persist. This often has a negative impact on the education and social participation of those affected.

The project is developing a VR platform that uses playful elements and immersive experiences to help children practise their social skills in various scenarios in a safe environment. Interactive gamification elements, complex interaction possibilities and therapeutic scenarios are designed for this purpose. Several users will support each other in multi-user sessions. Represented by avatars, the children experience a sense of community in these virtual group interactions and improve their social skills. The system thus enables more intensive and more frequent exercises, bridges breaks in therapy and increases the effectiveness of the treatment.