Phygital Mental Health: Opportunities and Challenges

In recent years, there has been a growing interest towards the potential hybridisation of digital and physical spaces, an emerging technology paradigm also known as “phygital”. Enabled by the convergence of virtual/augmented/mixed/extended reality, mobile tools, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, the growing symbiosis between human spaces and computers is leading to the emergence of mixed physical and digital ecosystems, which will have a transformational impact on people's lives. However, the potential role that phygital systems could play in enhancing mental health and well-being is still under investigation. In this chapter, we introduce the concept of phygital interaction for mental health and present some scenarios of how this emerging paradigm can be used to enhance the prevention, promotion and treatment of mental conditions.