Shaping VR solutions for youth mental well-being: Backslash at the DigiMental Innovation Lab in Italy

Representatives of Backslash participated in the DigiMental project Innovation Lab – specially designed workshop, focused on exploring how virtual reality can support youth mental well-being and digital mental health.

The project brings together educators, youth workers, mental health experts from the project’s partners organisations, coming from Iceland, Italy, Spain and Belgium, to develop VR-based tools and training resources that support youth well-being through using this immersive technology.

The meeting featured:

• DigiMental project framework presentation
• Hackathon outcomes and data-to-practice translation discussion
• VR experience demonstration
• Guidelines for implementing the project

Key principles discussed included building safeguarding into design through privacy-by-design, transparency, human oversight, and safe exit options; ensuring calm, non-judgmental facilitation; designing for inclusion and accessibility; making reflection central to both product features and facilitation practice; and prioritizing youth-centered engagement with scalable templates for organizations with varying resources.

Backslash values participation in innovative projects that address youth mental well-being through emerging technologies. As digital tools increasingly shape young people’s lives, ensuring these technologies support rather than harm mental health becomes critical for youth work practice.