Evaluation of a Virtual Reality-Based Mental Wellbeing Support Environment for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Employees (SHELTA)

Mersey Care NHS staff struggling with anxiety and depression will swap their usual audio wellness recordings for a 3D virtual reality environment called SHELTA, in a trial to see if immersive digital spaces can improve mental health at work. The problem is straightforward: healthcare workers face high rates of stress, burnout, and mental ill health, yet many standard wellbeing tools—such as guided audio tracks—are passive and easily ignored. SHELTA offers something different: a virtual space where employees can practice mindfulness and connect with peers in real time, inside a shared 3D environment that feels like a physical place. The trial randomly assigns participants to either SHELTA or conventional audio recordings, then compares changes in anxiety and depression symptoms. If SHELTA proves more effective, it could give NHS trusts a practical, scalable tool for supporting staff mental health without requiring extra buildings or therapists. The same approach might eventually extend to other high-stress workplaces—ambulance services, police, or social care—where access to quiet, supportive spaces is limited. For now, the research asks a concrete question: does an immersive virtual environment help people feel better than listening to a recording? The answer could reshape how employers think about digital mental health support.