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

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  • Takanori Shibata

    (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
    School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
    AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA)

  • Lillian Hung

    (Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
    School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, 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
    Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BX, 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)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • 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. , 2021. "PARO as a Biofeedback Medical Device for Mental Health in the COVID-19 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:20:p:11502-:d:658927
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julianne Holt-Lunstad & Timothy B Smith & J Bradley Layton, 2010. "Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-1, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tianyang Huang, 2022. "What Affects the Acceptance and Use of Hotel Service Robots by Elderly Customers?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-17, December.

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