Partners advance SAFXR: a new immersive approach to suicide prevention and workforce mental health

The partners behind SAFXR (Safety Planning for Suicide Prevention XR) have announced significant progress in the co-design and development of an innovative immersive learning solution that aims to transform how professionals respond to people experiencing suicidal thoughts, while also supporting their own mental health and resilience. 

SAFXR, which began development in July 2025, is a collaborative project led by Care Reality in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland (NES), the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), and the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory (SBRL) at the University of Glasgow. The project brings together expertise in immersive technology, clinical education, mental health research, and lived experience insight. 

SAFXR is supported by funding from Innovate UK (IUK) through the Mindset Extended Reality (XR) funding programme, which aims to advance immersive digital therapeutics for mental health across the UK. This investment is part of a broader £20 million initiative to grow the UK’s immersive digital mental health sector by backing R&D into extended reality (XR) solutions, including VR, AR and mixed-reality therapeutic approaches, that aim to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare and support positive outcomes at scale.  

Using Care Reality’s FLO XR platform, SAFXR integrates scenario-based learning with evidence-informed safety planning, enabling professionals to rehearse complex, emotionally challenging situations in a controlled environment. Co-design is central to the project, with people with lived experience, frontline practitioners, and mental health specialists contributing directly to the shaping of content, scenarios, and therapeutic elements. 

The co-design phase, now well underway, is focusing on scenario storyboarding, emotional safety considerations, and user experience design. Early testing will take place in the University of Glasgow’s ARC XR Lab, with further evaluation planned across multiple sectors in 2026. 

The project responds to a clear and urgent need: suicide remains one of the most pressing public health challenges and supporting the mental health of those working in high-pressure, public-facing roles is essential. SAFXR aims to provide a dual-benefit solution, enhancing professional competence in suicide prevention while offering reflective tools to help users manage their own wellbeing. 

SAFXR is being co-designed for use across health, social care, education, emergency services, justice, and community settings, aligning with national strategies including Scotland’s Creating Hope Together action plan. 

Further updates will be shared as the project moves into early testing and evaluation stages in 2026.