COVID life has taken a toll on us all, but it’s hit older adults particularly hard. Separated from family and friends, and less able to travel than before, many seniors have become lonely and depressed.

The pandemic struck just as UC Santa Barbara professors Tamara Afifi(link is external) and Nancy Collins(link is external) were conducting a pilot study to determine whether virtual reality (VR) experiences could improve quality of life for seniors and their adult children. After conducting a phase I pilot study at Maravilla, a senior living community in Santa Barbara, the team has now received $2 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to begin a two-year clinical trial.