Virtual Spaces Open Doors for Supporting Social Withdrawal! Mediative, Hokkaido University Hospital, and Cluster Launch Joint Research on a 'Metaverse Examination System' Starting June 11

Mediative Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Takuma Hata), which specializes in PR and marketing support for the medical field, has launched a joint research project with the Hokkaido University Hospital Department of Psychiatry (Sapporo, Hokkaido; Professor Takahiro Kato) and Cluster Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa, Tokyo; CEO: Naoto Kato). The project, which begins on June 11, 2026, focuses on developing a 'metaverse examination system' to support individuals in states of social withdrawal and patients with mental illnesses.

As the first phase, the team is conducting mock metaverse consultations (approved by the Hokkaido University Hospital Ethics Committee on March 23, 2026). Researching metaverse consultations for social withdrawal in psychiatry is a pioneering initiative in Japan.

This project aims to establish 'new support methods' using virtual spaces in psychiatry. Mediative is participating by promoting the project and providing expertise in avatar communication, supporting the construction of environments that facilitate new access to medical care using technology.

■ Project Overview
The project aims to construct a 'metaverse examination system' for patients visiting the Hokkaido University Hospital Department of Psychiatry and partner institutions due to social withdrawal, depression, schizophrenia, or developmental disorders, as well as consenting healthy volunteers, through March 31, 2028 (approved by the Hokkaido University Hospital Ethics Committee on March 23, 2026).

The 'metaverse examination system' utilizes the virtual space provided by 'cluster,' a metaverse platform developed and operated by Cluster Inc. This space, called the 'metaverse examination room,' serves as a new support method for assisting medical consultations via avatars.

In the metaverse examination room, alongside standard examination settings where medical staff (doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, etc.) face patients, environments such as couch beds or 'companion seats' can be configured if desired, allowing patients to choose an environment tailored to their psychological state. While wearing head-mounted displays, 10–15 minute consultations take place, during which the team records and analyzes eye movement and action data to verify clinical efficacy.

By utilizing metaverse consultation assistance via avatars, the project is expected to significantly reduce psychological and physical burdens compared to traditional face-to-face consultations or video calls where faces are visible, thereby facilitating smoother communication for individuals with high interpersonal anxiety.

*Features of the Metaverse Examination Room
In addition to allowing both medical staff and patients to change avatars (including custom designs) and background music, the room features a system to display the medical staff’s facial expressions via live monitors if necessary, creating a simulated face-to-face medical environment.

■ Project Background
Currently, individuals in states of social withdrawal face significant hurdles in accessing medical institutions due to anxieties regarding leaving home and face-to-face communication. Delayed access to healthcare can lead to the worsening or chronic nature of mental symptoms such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and self-harming ideation, as well as delays in treating lifestyle-related diseases or physical ailments. Long-term social isolation is associated with decreased physical and mental health risks and functional decline, making the difficulty of connecting to care a major medical issue beyond psychiatry.

Meanwhile, while online medical care is spreading with technological advances, the full-scale clinical introduction of the 'metaverse,' which involves immersion and shared space, remains in its infancy. Because psychiatry primarily focuses on 'dialogue' and 'observation' without requiring physical contact, it has high affinity with metaverse spaces. Given this context, this project was launched to seek a new form of psychiatric care to solve access issues.

■ Mediative's Role
Mediative is participating as a partner in 'project promotion' and 'providing knowledge on avatar communication.' They will apply their experience in communication characteristics unique to metaverse spaces and the fostering of psychological comfort through avatars to the project's system development.