KEY POINTS
Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, has disclosed its venture into the metaverse with a focus on promoting mental health wellness.
Dubbed “Zen Quest,” the initiative is already accessible on the Roblox platform, merging gaming elements with mindfulness techniques for users to engage with.
The virtual experience incorporates visuals, sounds, and interactive features guiding users through meditation sessions. Activities within “Zen Quest” include learning affirmations, appreciating artworks, and exploring serene landscapes.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), nearly 58 million people in the United States grapple with mental health issues, with half of all lifetime mental illnesses starting by age 14.
Leopoldo Pozuelo, Center Director of Adult Behavioral Health at Cleveland Clinic, emphasizes the importance of reaching out to young adults where they spend much of their time — in this case, playing video games — to promote mental wellness.
“If we can meet them where they are and remind them of wellness behaviors, we see this as a good initial step in being proactive in mental health,” he stated.
This isn’t the first instance of an organization recognizing the metaverse’s potential in the healthcare industry. In 2022, Accenture invested in BehaVR to explore VR wellness and therapeutic experiences for addressing mental health concerns like anxiety and stress.
Moreover, the metaverse’s utility extends to medical training. Recently, Veyond Metaverse integrated Apple Vision Pro VR headsets into its surgery platform, offering medical professionals a more immersive and risk-free training environment.
In a similar vein, in 2023, Wolters Kluwer introduced “vrClinicals for Nursing,” a VR nursing education platform featuring real-life scenarios to augment student training.
The global metaverse healthcare market is expanding rapidly, with its value projected to increase from $7.5 billion in 2022 to an estimated $98.34 billion by 2032, as per Precedence Research.
