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

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