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268. Synergistic mechanisms of thought disorder assessment and mental health education among college students in a virtual simulation context

Year: 2026
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Background College students are at high risk for schizophrenia spectrum–related thought disorders, which are often manifested by loose logic, reduced language coherence, and impaired situational judgment. Current mental health education relies mainly on subjective questionnaires and static interviews, limiting dynamic identification and intervention under realistic cognitive load. Virtual simulation offers a controllable and immersive assessment environment, but evidence for its synergistic use with mental health education remains limited. This study constructs and evaluates a virtual simulation–based synergistic mechanism for thought disorder assessment and mental health education. Methods A total of 220 undergraduate students from three universities were recruited (mean age: 20.4 ± 1.3 years) and classified into a high-risk group (n = 106) and a control group (n = 114) based on mental risk screening results. A pretest–posttest controlled experimental design was adopted. Logical reasoning, situational decision-making, and language organization tasks were implemented on a virtual simulation platform, and indicators including response time, decision-path deviation rate, and language coherence index were collected. In addition to routine mental health education, the high-risk group received an 8-week virtual simulation–assisted intervention, while the control group received routine courses only. Thought disorder assessment scales and mental health questionnaires were administered. Statistical analyses were conducted using t-tests, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis, with the significance level set at p<.05. Results Baseline results showed that the high-risk group exhibited significantly longer response times than the control group (3.79 ± 0.68 s vs. 2.91 ± 0.64 s, p<.001) and significantly lower language coherence indices (69.15 ± 7.92 vs. 77.04 ± 8.01, p<.001). After the intervention, response time in the high-risk group was reduced by 18.7%, and the decision-path deviation rate decreased from 22.14% to 15.03% (p=.001). The total score of the thought disorder scale decreased by 11.86 ± 3.94 points (p<.001). Analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of group (F = 19.62, p<.001), while no significant interactions with gender or academic year were observed. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between improvements in language coherence and reductions in thought disorder scale scores (r = −0.48, p<.01), and a significant positive correlation between improvements in task performance and increases in overall mental health scores (r = 0.52, p<.01). Following the intervention, classroom participation and course completion rates increased by 24.9% and 19.8%, respectively. Discussion The results indicate that the synergistic mechanism integrating thought disorder assessment and mental health education within a virtual simulation context can effectively identify abnormalities in thought processing among college students and significantly improve cognitive and mental health outcomes in high-risk individuals. The significant associations between assessment indicators and intervention effects support the practical value of an integrated assessment–feedback–intervention framework in campus mental health education. This study provides a novel pathway for early identification and precise intervention of schizophrenia spectrum–related thought disorders. Future research should incorporate multimodal behavioral data and longitudinal follow-up to further validate the stability and predictive utility of this mechanism. Funding No. 24C17.
DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbag003.266
Author: Hongmei Wen
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7128779486
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