Group-Based Online Virtual Reality Gaming to Improve Mental Health Among Children With Physical Disabilities

Participants will utilize low-cost, consumer available head-mounted displays to meet with peers and coaches online. The program will last 4 weeks and include 2 x 1-hour sessions per week of supervised peer-to-peer gaming. The coaches will utilize behavioral change and mindfulness techniques to promote autonomy, competence, and relatedness through a respectful, cohesive, and positive atmosphere. These strategies will be framed by the Self-Determination Theory and learned from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD) mindfulness coaching workshops. Some of the mindfulness-based strategies will include guided breathing focused exercises, body scanning, meditation, and acceptance of social anxiety and shyness