Here’s How Augmented Reality Is Helping Teens Address Anxiety

Mental health issues among the younger population, and especially among teenagers, is becoming nothing short of a pandemic. 1 in every 3 teenagers aged between 13 and 18 suffers from anxiety.

And AR can help with that.

 

Why AR Works

One of the major reasons AR works so well for teenagers, especially those that have to deal with anxiety, is the boundaries it offers: teenagers are not expected to go to any meetings, or clinics, and don’t have to fear intervention.

Why does AR work? It works because teenagers no longer feel like they are being compelled to sit in front of a therapist, physically, and that effectually dismantles a previously-established requisite. It makes the experience less painful and less embarrassing for them—and teenagers would do anything to avoid embarrassment. There’s still some semblance of control and privacy left—and that works.

AR Games

Why do you think some people become addicted to things in the worst times in their lives? Some get hooked on drugs, others resort to smoking, and others still find a release of some other kind. For many teenagers, this release could be a healthy and safe sublimation that takes them away from dangerous addictions and towards more secure grounds: such as interactive games.

Games will always lure younger people in, and the more interactive the game, the better-suited it is to fight something like anxiety. For teenagers who suffer from anxiety, their projection of themselves into a virtual world effectively removes them from a painful “reality” and immerses them in an experience that makes it easier for them to forget.

Of course, on the sidelines, these interactive games are designed to curb and soothe their anxiety, thereby making this a win-win situation.

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Although it doesn’t sound like talking is involved in a therapy titled “cognitive behavioral therapy,” that is exactly the case here. CBT is, at the end of the day, a therapy technique that relies very heavily on talking. And although it is a short-term therapy, it’s still very effective.

Augmented Reality can help deliver these therapy sessions to teenagers in an environment that is more comfortable for them. Doing so ensures that teenagers don’t have to leave their much-loved comfort zones and do not have to confront the taboo of having to deal with mental illness. Through slow but gradual exposure to such a therapy course, cognitive restructuring can help teenagers re-establish their self-esteem and move forwards with ease.

 

Building an AR Program for Anxiety?

If you plan on incorporating an AR program into your anxiety-fighting procedure and therapy, get in touch with the AR experts at Elementals today.