Laura Maldonado, lecturer in the Department of Psychology, delivered the presentation “Building Innovation Testbeds: From Concept to Impact” during the dissemination meeting held on 17 November as part of DigiCare Innovation. UIC Barcelona is a member of the European Alliance EduCare 5.0, which is promoting this project, coordinated by the International Relations Service.

The University has taken on the challenge of developing an interdisciplinary testbed environment to co-create, test and scale digital solutions focused on mental health. For this reason, the Department of Psychology has actively participated in the European initiative by presenting CalmXR, a proposal to improve stress management in both university and workplace settings.

Virtual reality to combat stress

CalmXR is a space where users can access a set of tools through virtual reality to manage stress effectively using psychology-backed techniques such as meditation, mindfulness, active breaks and green spaces. According to Laura Maldonado, who presented UIC Barcelona’s project to the other participating institutions, “In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in perceived stress in both academic and professional contexts. Some 34.5% of students have reported experiencing moderate or severe stress, according to a study published in 2020.”

Given these findings, UIC Barcelona is leading a “testbed”, in other words, a testing environment or simulation space, to combat this stress with the help of virtual reality. First, participants complete a questionnaire before entering the virtual space to determine which technique will be most useful. Finally, an assessment is made to determine whether the programme has been effective in managing that stress, and other possible sessions are evaluated.

Lecturers Bruno Porras, Maite Garolera, and Laura Maldonado from the Department of Psychology emphasise that “participation in this project fosters integration between education, research and industry, promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that benefits both students and academic staff.” Maite Garolera is also the head of the Neuropsychology Unit at Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, a university hospital affiliated with UIC Barcelona. UIC Barcelona’s involvement strengthens the University’s presence in the European higher education ecosystem and consolidates its capacity to contribute to projects that drive social transformation.

The Department of Psychology is working on independent projects in the field of mental health research and innovation through the BrainXR Lab research group.