Therapeutic engagement in robot-assisted psychological interventions: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: Therapeutic engagement is a key component of psychological interventions. Robot-assisted psychological interventions appear to have therapeutic benefits for service users that are challenging to engage. However, engagement with robots in robot-assisted psychological interventions is not well understood. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the quality of therapeutic engagement in robot-assisted psychological interventions (PROSPERO: 122437). METHODS: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Medline were searched until 15 January 2021 for studies which quantitatively evaluated therapeutic engagement in robot-assisted psychological interventions. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool was used to assess methodological dimensions of studies. RESULTS: 3647 studies were identified through database searching. Thirty studies (N = 1462), published between 2004 and 2020, and from 14 countries, were included. Robots were typically toy animals or humanoids and were used to provide support and improve wellbeing through social interaction. Studies primarily tested robots on older adults with dementia and children with autism and indicated positive therapeutic engagement. Twelve studies included a control group. EPHPP ratings were 'strong' (N = 1), 'moderate' (N = 10) and 'weak' (N = 19). CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic engagement between service users and robots is generally positive. Methodological limitations of studies, such as small sample sizes, and lack of control groups and longitudinal data, mean that the field is in early stages of its development and conclusions should be drawn with caution. There are important practical and ethical implications for policymakers to consider, such as responsible clinical practice and how service users may understand the therapeutic relationship with robots.

Cultural adaption, translation, preliminary reliability and validity of psychological and behavioural measures for adolescents living with HIV in Botswana: A multi-stage approach.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a significant public health issue among young people living in Botswana. There is a need for reliable and valid psychological and behavioural measures of causally important constructs for this population. We developed a new HIV knowledge measure for use with 10-19-year-olds living with HIV and translated and adapted additional tools measuring HIV adjustment, HIV disclosure cognitions and affect, HIV communication beliefs, antiretroviral (ART) adherence, and self-esteem, using a multi-step process. This included (1) item generation for the HIV knowledge questionnaire, (2) translation including back-translation and expert review, (3) cognitive interviewing, (4) reliability testing (5) preliminary validity analysis. The HIV Knowledge Questionnaire for Adolescents living with HIV, the Illness Cognition Questionnaire, the Adolescent HIV Disclosure Cognition and Affect Scale, the HIV Communication Beliefs Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale showed acceptable or good reliability and some evidence of validity for adolescents living with HIV in Botswana.

Integrating a virtual reality relaxation clinic within acute psychiatric services: A pilot study.

People with acute psychiatric conditions experience heightened stress, which is associated with worsened symptoms and increased violence on psychiatric wards. Traditional stress management techniques can be challenging for patients. Virtual reality (VR) relaxation appears promising to reduce stress; however, research on VR for psychiatric wards is limited. This mixed-methods study investigated feasibility and acceptability of integrating a VR relaxation clinic within acute psychiatric services. The study evaluated a VR relaxation session for inpatients and outpatients with acute psychiatric conditions (N = 42) and therapists' (N = 6) experience facilitating VR sessions for patients. Self-report assessments of psychological wellbeing were completed by patients pre- and post-VR. Patients and therapists provided qualitative feedback. The number of violent incidents and restrictive practices on the wards in the 12 weeks before VR implementation was compared to the first 12 weeks of VR. Post-VR, there were statistically significant increases in patients' relaxation, happiness, and connectedness to nature, and decreases in stress, anxiety, and sadness. Qualitative findings indicate patients found sessions enjoyable, relaxing, and helpful. Therapists provided positive feedback but highlighted practical challenges. Violent incidents and restrictive practices halved during VR implementation. VR relaxation appears feasible and acceptable in acute services. Larger studies should evaluate potential impact on psychiatric wards.