Under the EIT Higher Education Initiative call, UIC Barcelona, partner within the Empowering community care through digital health – DigiCare Innovation project, has taken on the challenge of developing an interdisciplinary testbed environment to co-create, test and scale digital solutions focused on mental health.
DigiCare Innovation – A Transformative Ecosystem for Health
CalmXR, a proposal to improve stress management in both university and workplace settings
CalmXR is a space where users can access a set of tools through virtual reality to manage stress effectively using psychology-backed techniques such as meditation, mindfulness, active breaks and green spaces.
Using the results of studies regarding stress among the students – 34.5% of students have reported experiencing moderate or severe stress – UIC Barcelona is leading a “testbed” (a testing environment or simulation space) to combat this stress with the help of virtual reality.
Participants first complete a questionnaire to determine the most useful technique, and after entering the virtual space, an assessment is made to evaluate the program’s effectiveness in stress management and to consider future sessions.
Lecturers Bruno Porras, Maite Garolera, and Laura Maldonado from the Department of Psychology of UIC Barcelona emphasise that “participation in this project fosters integration between education, research and industry, promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that benefits both students and academic staff”.
