MindVR is made and designed by Orygen Digital which is based in Melbourne, Australia. Many of us at Orygen Digital live and work on the land of the Boon Wurrung and the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Orygen Digital acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands we are on and pays respect to their Elders past and present. Orygen Digital recognises and respects their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationships to their ancestral lands.
MindVR - Terms of Use
What is MindVR?
MindVR is a virtual reality app designed for young people aged 12 to 25 years old who experience depression and anxiety. The app works by teaching young people skills to manage difficult thoughts and emotions.
MindVR combines effective, evidence-based techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness to help young people respond to difficult thoughts and emotions in helpful ways. These techniques are taught within immersive virtual environments using a variety of activities designed to build positive thinking skills.
Who can use MindVR?
MindVR is currently only available to participants in our Early Access program and clinical trials.
Can I contact MindVR for crisis support?
MindVR is not an emergency or a crisis support service. For urgent help in Australia please call 000.
You can find a link to crisis and counselling supports in the MindVR app — including 24/7 services like Lifeline (13 11 14) and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).
Does MindVR cost anything?
MindVR is currently completely free of charge thanks to our funding partners listed on our website.
Who developed MindVR?
MindVR was developed by Orygen Digital, a team of world-renowned researchers and psychologists in youth mental health. We’re part of Orygen – Australia’s National Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, and the University of Melbourne.
The MindVR app was developed by members of the Orygen Digital team with the support of product designers, app developers, and psychologists. Young people with personal experience of mental health challenges were also involved throughout the development process.
What types of data are collected and why?
Orygen Digital collects information about you and your use of MindVR to:
Personal information
When you use MindVR for the first time, you create a user profile. You’ll provide an email address so we can communicate with you about MindVR. You can choose to opt out of receiving promotional emails from us at any time.
Survey responses
When you create a user profile you’ll also be asked to complete some questions about yourself and your mental health. You will be given the option to answer additional questions each fortnight to track your progress.
Usage information
Each time you use MindVR, we record basic information, like the time of your visit, how long you stay, the pages you visit, your responses to questions in the app, and what features you spend time on.
Will all my data be linked to me personally?
No. All the survey response and usage information data we collect in MindVR is stored separately and disconnected from your personal information (email address), so it is not linked to you personally. This is called ‘de-identified’ data.
Why do you need my survey responses and usage data?
The information we collect from MindVR users helps us to understand who is using the app, how they are using it, and evaluate whether it’s helping them with their mental health. Without this information, we wouldn’t know if MindVR was benefiting the young people it was designed for. It also helps us to understand how to improve MindVR over time.
Who do you share my survey responses and usage data with?
The information collected may be used by the Orygen Digital team to assess the safety, usability, quality and effectiveness of MindVR.
The information collected may also be shared with researchers, evaluators, and funders from other organisations, but only in de-identified form and combined with other MindVR user’s data. This means that we will not share any of your identifiable information, and the data can never be traced back to you. Read more in Orygen’s privacy policy.
We might share de-identified information for quality assurance and independent evaluation purposes, so others can make sure Orygen Digital is doing the best job we can. Another reason is to report back to our funders about how MindVR is going, how many young people are using it, how effective it is, or when and where demand for services is highest. We might also share de-identified information with other researchers for closely related research projects.
Where is the data stored?
All the data collected in MindVR are hosted on secured cloud-based servers based in Australia indefinitely in accordance with local regulations. No one outside of Orygen Digital can access this data.
How do you protect my data?
MindVR has been developed using best practices for user-authentication and data processing. All transfers of data occur through a secure HTTPS connection. All data collected is hosted on secured cloud-based servers based in Australia.
How long do you keep my data?
Your identifiable data (your personal email address) and your de-identifiable data (all other data collected including app usage and answers to surveys) are stored separately. We will store all de-identified data indefinitely in a format that cannot be linked back to any individual. We will also store your identifiable data indefinitely, unless you request for this data to be deleted (see the ‘Data deletion request’ section of this document).
Can you tell me more about the research? Do I have to be involved?
By using MindVR, you consent to the de-identified data we collect in the app to be used by us for the purpose of research and evaluation. This helps us to improve MindVR and allows us to share our findings with others in publications or reports.
We may also reach out via the email address you provide when you signed up to invite you to be involved in other research we are conducting. This research is aimed at improving MindVR and understanding ways to help young people with their mental health. Any future research projects like this will be subject to ethics approval. You can opt out at any time from invites to research projects by replying to the email and letting us know.
One way we communicate our findings is through research papers written for scientific journals and evaluation reports designed to improve our understanding of mental health challenges and how to treat them effectively. Again, your data will be de-identified and combined with all other user data if we use it in a publication or report.
How long will my user profile stay active on MindVR?
Your MindVR user profile will stay active until such time as you choose to stop using it.
Please note that because we store your survey and usage data in a de-identified format, it can’t be linked back to you. This means we’re unable to delete it once collected, and it may still be used for approved research and evaluation purposes.
Will MindVR ever change?
Yes, definitely! Based on what we learn from young people who use MindVR, we aim to continuously update and improve the app over time. We may refine the app, introduce new exercises and content, or improve the user experience in other ways.
Will these Terms of Use ever change?
It’s possible that our Terms of Use might change if we make significant changes to the MindVR app. The updated version of the Terms of Use will be published through MindVR and you will be notified. Any changes would take effect immediately from the date of publication.
Okay, I’ve read the Terms of Use. Where do I sign?
You don’t need to sign anything! When you create a user profile to use MindVR, you automatically accept and agree to be bound by these terms and by the laws of Australia. We will send an email you reminding you of this when you create your user profile.
Data deletion request
Once you start using MindVR, the information you provide is stored in a de-identified format — this means it can’t be linked back to you personally. Because of this, we’re not able to remove your survey or usage data after it’s been collected, as we can no longer identify which data belongs to you. However, you can ask us to delete your email address and stop all contact at any time by emailing us at [email protected].
Copyright
The therapy content on MindVR has been developed by Orygen Digital and is covered by our copyright. Please do not copy and distribute the content outside of MindVR.
Last updated: 8 January 2026