More than 700 in-home virtual reality (VR) mental wellness kits have been deployed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in the largest program of its kind in America.
Led by VA clinicians and supported by Healium, SoldierPoint, and VA Immersive, the initiative delivers non-pharmacological tools that help Veterans self-manage stress as part of a healthy lifestyle, right from home.
Healium uses immersive media and real-time biofeedback or neurofeedback to turn stress management into a relaxing, visual experience, helping Veterans learn to self-regulate more intuitively.
Research in multiple peer-reviewed journals shows Healium can reduce anxiety or improve mood in as little as four minutes.
This deployment was made possible through the coordination of VA clinicians, the VA Immersive Team, engineers and technologists at Healium, and logistics experts at SoldierPoint.
Each VR kit also includes Honor Everywhere, a virtual tour program launched in 2013 that gives Veterans who are unable to travel the opportunity to virtually visit memorials and other remembrance sites.
Immersive Experiences include:
- Virtual visits to the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korea War Memorial, and Women’s Memorial narrated by Veterans who served there.
- Guided tour of the USS Nimitz while at sea, allowing Veterans to reconnect with naval history and service
- Guided tour of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga