Immersive digital art for well-being and ecological awareness: from a conceptual framework to practice

The intensification of the consequences of ecological crises over the past decade has made them more visible, leading to a rise in eco-anxiety, especially in young adults. This psychological response is not pathological, but if left unaddressed, it may expose to mental health disorders. Evidence shows that art has mental health benefits, suggesting that harnessing artistic experiences may serve as catalysts for resilience and renewed connection to the living world. Young adults inhabit an increasingly digital world and, therefore, engaging them requires speaking their technological and cultural language.

This article develops a conceptual framework for exploring the potential of immersive digital art in fostering emotional regulation and ecological awareness for collective and individual eco-emotional and ecological transformations. Through an interdisciplinary lens, it articulates how multisensory experiences foster connection to nature and support mental health. It situates immersive digital art within the broader field of art-based practices that promote mental health.

The framework emphasizes how immersive technologies extend art into participatory forms that spark aesthetic, emotional and ecological resonance, while clarifying that ecological outcomes depend on intentional narrative and curatorial orientation rather than immersion alone.

It suggests that such practices may act as resources for emotional regulation, tools for mediation and catalysts for rethinking cultural policies oriented toward well-being. It outlines ethical and accessibility considerations along with avenues for empirical testing, and highlights implications for future research, clinical practice and cultural institutions, positioning immersive digital art as a transformative medium at the intersection of art, health and ecology.