Metaverse Support Groups Show Promise for Ukrainian Refugees' Mental Health

A clinical trial is currently evaluating the efficacy of support groups delivered via the metaverse for Ukrainian refugees, comparing them to traditional in-person support groups and a waitlist control group. The study, designed in accordance with Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines, aims to address the mental health and well-being of adult Ukrainian refugees who are not formally diagnosed with a mental disorder or PTSD (search)Search disease and are not currently receiving mental health treatment.

Intervention Design

The intervention protocol is based on evidence-based practices for support groups, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (search)Search target (CBT) principles and guidelines from organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The language used for the intervention sessions is Russian, chosen to enhance inclusivity and accommodate the preferred language of the target community. Both the metaverse and in-person groups participate in 1.5-hour sessions each week for 5 weeks, facilitated by licensed psychotherapists following the same protocol structure.

The program structure includes an intake and baseline assessment, followed by two sessions, a mid-program assessment, three more sessions, a final assessment, and a 3-month follow-up. Each session includes an introduction, check-in, discussion of a specific topic, sharing and support, psychoeducation, and closure. Topics covered include cultural adjustment issues, overall well-being, social support, mental health, and gender-based violence (GBV).

Metaverse Environment

In the metaverse condition, participants gather in a virtual city square in Kyiv, near the House with Chimaeras. The metaverse platform allows participants to move around, sit, adjust their proximity to others, and send private chat messages to the facilitator. Voice communication is proximity-based, with silent rooms available for private discussions.

Outcome Measures

The primary outcomes of the study are levels of depressive symptomatology and anxiety (search)Search disease, assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 (search)Search disease questionnaires, respectively. Secondary outcomes include well-being (measured by the WHO-5 Well-Being Index), gender-based violence awareness, and perceived social support (assessed using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, MSPSS). Data is collected at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.

Study Design and Sample Size

The study employs a randomized controlled trial design, with participants randomly assigned to either the metaverse condition, the in-person condition, or a waitlist control group. An a priori power analysis indicated that a total of 45 participants are needed to achieve a statistical power of 0.95, with an alpha error probability of 0.05.

Recruitment and Ethics

Participants are recruited through collaborations with local NGOs focused on Ukrainian refugees. The study has been approved by the ethics committee of the University of Bucharest, Romania. Informed consent is obtained from all participants, and measures are in place to ensure confidentiality and address any ethical concerns related to the sensitive nature of the topics discussed in the support groups.

Data Analysis

The improvement in mental health and well-being scores within and between the groups will be examined using mixed-effects linear regression. Longitudinal analyses will be performed to ascertain the long-term effects of the intervention. Missing data will be handled with multiple imputation methods.