VR for Hope: A Brief VR Self-help Protocol to Enhance Hope and Well-being in Young Adults

VR for Hope: A Feasibility Study of a Brief Virtual Reality Self-Help Protocol to Foster Hope and Well-Being Among Young Adults

The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a brief self-help protocol based on immersive Virtual Reality (VR) to promote hope and psychological well-being in young adults while enhancing their mentalization capacity. The intervention consists of five sessions. The first session will be conducted in person and features an immersive VR experience, while the subsequent sessions will be delivered in a self-help format via audio and video materials. The intervention is designed to guide participants through personal reflection on key aspects of individual experience, such as hope and the understanding of one's own and others' mental states. Participants will complete self-report questionnaires before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention to assess levels of hope, psychological well-being, and mentalization capacity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 18 and 30 years.
• Native Italian speakers or individuals with excellent comprehension of spoken and written Italian.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of neurological disorders, presence of clinically significant maladaptive personality traits.