PARO as a Biofeedback Medical Device for Mental Health in the COVID-19 Era

Takanori Shibata, Lillian Hung, Sandra Petersen, Kate Darling, Kaoru Inoue, Katharine Martyn, Yoko Hori, Geoffrey Lane, Davis Park, Ruth Mizoguchi, Chihiro Takano, Sarah Harper, George W. Leeson and Joseph F. Coughlin
Additional contact information
Takanori Shibata: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
Lillian Hung: Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
Sandra Petersen: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Programs, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75799, USA
Kate Darling: Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Kaoru Inoue: Department of Occupational Therapy, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Arakawa 116-8551, Japan
Katharine Martyn: School of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4AT, UK
Yoko Hori: Happy-Net Association, Nagoya 451-0042, Japan
Geoffrey Lane: Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Livermore Division, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
Davis Park: Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing, Glendale, CA 91203, USA
Ruth Mizoguchi: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SW10 9NH, UK
Chihiro Takano: Toshima Cable Network Co., Ltd., Tokyo 171-0021, Japan
Sarah Harper: Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
George W. Leeson: Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
Joseph F. Coughlin: AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading across the globe, and it could take years for society to fully recover. Personal protective equipment (PPE), various hygiene measures, and social distancing have been implemented to reduce “human to human” contact, which is an essential part of outbreak prevention. The pressure of the pandemic combined with decreased communication and social contact have taken a toll on the mental health of many individuals, especially with respect to anxiety and depression. Effective use of robots and technology as a substitute for—or in coordination with—traditional medicine could play a valuable role in reducing psychological distress now more than ever. This paper summarizes the results of a comprehensive review of clinical research on PARO, a therapeutic seal robot, which has been used extensively as a biofeedback medical device and socially assistive robot in the field of mental health. PARO has proven to be an effective and economical non-pharmacological intervention method for both mental and physical well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilization of PARO during these times has provided more data for consideration and has helped in mitigating the negative stigma surrounding using robots in therapeutic settings.

Keywords: biofeedback therapy; COVID-19; pandemic; mental health; social distancing; loneliness; stress; agitation; anxiety; depression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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