PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Virtual Real.
Sec. Virtual Reality and Human Behaviour
This article is part of the Research TopicHuman Behavior in Extreme Conditions: Novel Approaches and TechnologiesView all 11 articles
The Canaries' Experience: Saving Lives through a True Events Based Virtual Reality Experience A multidisciplinary approach using avatars in suicide prevention and intervention
Provisionally accepted
- 1Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- 2James' Place, liverpool, United Kingdom
- 3Alfie' Squad, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- 4NIHR, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- 5NHS, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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This paper outlines the conceptual foundation of The Canaries' Experience, a PhD research project at Liverpool John Moores University focused on the development and evaluation of immersive technology for preventive mental health interventions. The project forms part of a broader interdisciplinary initiative that integrates artificial intelligence, virtual reality, immersive storytelling, and spatial audio to deliver personalised therapeutic experiences. Targeting individuals at risk of self-harm and suicide particularly in high-risk or isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments it aims to enable early detection and mitigation of psychological distress. Situated at the intersection of mental health, digital therapy, and narrative design, the initiative highlights the potential of scalable, integrated approaches to enhance psychological resilience and promote cross-sector collaboration.
Keywords: Virtual Reality, suicide prevention, Ice, artificial intelligence, Game, story telling, Telltales, Isolation
Received: 15 May 2025; Accepted: 27 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Shalaby, Saini, Bifarin, Ward and McCann. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Salma Shalaby
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