About the Project

History of BRAVEMIND

The BRAVEMIND system began in 2004 as 'Virtual Iraq' at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. It was developed to meet the behavioral health needs of service members returning from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Grounded in Prolonged Exposure therapy, the system was built on a philosophy of iterative, user-centered design, continuously refined through feedback from service members and clinicians.

Over the years, the system evolved with funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Army, expanding from four virtual scenarios to fourteen in the 2011 'BRAVEMIND' update. This version was rebuilt on the state-of-the-art Unity game engine, enhancing realism and expanding content to include a wider range of combat and non-combat trauma experiences, including modules for combat medics and victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

Why Ukraine

The full-scale Russian invasion has precipitated a widespread mental health crisis in Ukraine. Prolonged exposure to violence and displacement has resulted in elevated rates of post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety.

Approximately 23-26% of Ukrainian civilians exposed to traumatic events screen positive for PTSD. Among university students, 48% exhibit moderate to severe PTSD symptoms.

There is an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based mental health interventions. This project directly addresses this gap by adapting a proven technology to the specific cultural and situational realities of the war in Ukraine.