About Us

Purpose

The objective and mission of the Society shall be to:

• Improve the diagnosis and treatment of people with mental/behavioral disorders using immersive technologies; to operate exclusively for scientific, scholarly and educational purposes.
• Encourage and advance scientific research pertaining to immersive technologies for mental disorders.
• Provide forums, including international congresses, online educational portals, medical journals and scientific symposia, open to a multidisciplinary audience.
• Increase awareness among healthcare professionals and the public about the use of immersive technologies for mental health disorders.
• Share ideas and advance the related clinical and scientific disciplines.
• Encourage interest and participation in the activities of the Society among healthcare professionals and scientists.
• Collaborate with other related professional, patient-led and other lay organizations.

Mission and Goals

The Society for Immersive Mental Health is a professional society of healthcare professionals, scientists, students, and affiliated individuals who are interested in immersive technologies in mental disorders.

1. To disseminate knowledge about immersive technologies used in psychiatric and psychological care by:
   1. Providing educational programs for clinicians, scientists and the general public designed to advance scientific and clinical knowledge
   2. Sponsoring International Congresses and Symposia
   3. Collaborating with other international organizations and lay groups
   4. Publishing journals, videos, and other collateral materials committed to high scientific standards and peer review
2. To promote research into causes, prevention and treatment of mental disorders with the use of immersive technologies:
   1. Using the society's influence and resources to enhance support for research
   2. Facilitating the dissemination of information about research
   3. Encouraging the training of basic and clinical scientists in the usage of immersive technologies for mental disorders
3. For the purposes of favorably affecting the care of patients with mental disorders, the Society will provide expertise, advice and guidance to:
   1. Regulatory agencies to assist them in the approval process of safe and effective therapeutic interventions
   2. The public (media) and patient support groups by informing them of new research and therapeutic advances
   3. Governments to assist them in the development of policies that affect support of research and patient care
   4. Educational efforts to assist in developing standards of training in the specialty

The Beginning

In October 2017, Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry organized a 2-day international meeting for health professionals on Immersive Technology as part of the School of Medicine’s annual conference of innovations in psychiatry and behavioral health. 324 delegates attended and there was enthusiasm for further similar meetings in the future.

We were very grateful at that meeting for the support of clinicians, university researchers, academics, industry leaders and developers and goodwill from associated organizations. The collaborations from this conference lead to the formation of monthly meetings and an informal international community group called Stanford Psychiatry Immersive Technology Consortium (SPIT-C).  Since its formation, over 600 members have joined and the need for a larger more formally organized medical society has become apparent.

The field of immersive technologies used in psychiatry, and mental health has matured and now covers a wide range of disciplines and stakeholders. 

We plan to organize further meetings as a place to bring together diverse groups, and we think the time is right for a new medically based organization to bring together those interested in this subject.