JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mental health is a prevalent condition amongst Canadians. Mental health conditions are the leading cause of disability, as each year 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health issue. Five percent of people aged 65 years and older perceive their mental health as fair or poor, and 6.3% of them have mood disorders. Regarding older adults with cognitive impairments such as dementias, up to 40 to 50 per cent of them experience depression at some point. We believe that older adults can benefit significantly from information and telecommunication technologies (ICTs) as a strategy for improving mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, while at the same time improving their quality of life. 3Scape Systems Inc. is an Albertan-based private company that has produced a series of specialized 3D videos that have been designed to simulate real-life events and engage individuals living with mental health disorders and cognitive impairments such as dementia.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to explore the trial design and effects of 3Scape videos on older adults’ symptoms of depression, anxiety, and quality of life, as well as the efficacy of this technology in reducing the caregiver burden on the START Psychiatry Day Hospital program at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital (GRH), and to provide data in order to estimate the parameters required to design a definitive Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).

Methods:

The trial will use a randomized controlled design comprising 15 intervention participants and 15 control group participants. The participants will be adults aged 65 years and older who are cognitively intact or who have a minimal cognitive impairment, i.e. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) ≥18), and clients from the START Psychiatry Day Hospital program at GRH. This study’s primary outcome variables are related to the clients’ depressive and anxiety symptoms, and their quality of life. The control group will receive the standard of care (i.e. the START Psychiatry Day Hospital program at GRH). The intervention group will receive the same standard of care as the control group at each facility and will use the 3Scape Systems videos for the therapeutic activities.

Results:

Our study is currently on hold due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The recruitment process is expected to resume by November 2020 and the primary impact analysis is expected to be conducted by February 2021.

Conclusions:

This study will provide valuable information such as the measurement of comparative intervention effects, perception of older adults and hand therapists about the 3Scape Systems, the associated costs of treatment, and product costings. This will contribute to the evidence planning process, which will be crucial for the future adoption of the 3Scape Systems. Clinical Trial: International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): ISRCTN: 93685907 (available at https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN93685907)