By Grace Sarkisian | WeINSPIRE Journalist

TAMPA, Florida - According to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that 7 million American adults over the age of 65 experience depression every year. Although adults age 75 and older account for fewer than 10% of all suicides in the U.S., older adults still have the highest suicide rate (19.1 per 100,000). With this information in mind, you may be wondering why there is not more awareness surrounding the effects of mental illnesses on older individuals.

Meet: Carleigh Berryman.

Berryman is a 25-year-old entrepreneur and expert in International Virtual Reality and Senior Care which has led her to start up her own company, Viva Vita. Berryman is the Founder and CEO of Viva Vita, an organization dedicated to delivering virtual reality (VR) to older adults across the United States to help improve their mental health and overall quality of life.

Berryman is a graduate of The George Washington School of Business, where she first began pursuing work combining virtual reality and healthcare after realizing there was no market for late-life depression and other mental illnesses.

“I actually started Viva Vita right out of college, I had been studying business and psychology, and so I learned a little bit about geriatric psychology and some of the things that our elders are up against, especially, anxiety and depression,” Berryman said.

Another statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 20% of individuals 55 years or older experience some type of mental health concern, including, anxiety, severe cognitive impairment, and various mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder).

Besides her interest in psychology and healthcare, Berryman has a more personal connection to Viva Vita, and the inspiration behind it all was her grandmother.

“It became very personal for me when I realized that my own grandmother, the more I learned about late-life depression in seniors… was actually feeling this way. Boredom was becoming an everyday struggle and it was hard for her to get out of the house,” Berryman said.

At this point in time, virtual reality was on the rise and becoming more popular for recreational use in the years leading up to 2019, the year Berryman first established her company.

“Maybe this tool, VR, could be beneficial for someone like granny, she can’t exactly leave the house and it’s very difficult to travel, but I know she loves to do that, and with this tool it allows her to bring some more joy and meaning into her life,” Berryman said.

Viva Vita first began with Berryman and a small team that would go into retirement communities to test headsets and programs. In doing so, this gave Berryman the chance to connect with the older adults in these communities, as well as understand what they go through on a day-to-day basis. These visits also included forming relationships with the caretakers and other staff.

After this, when the business first launched, it was labeled as an In-Person Services Business, meaning that Berryman and her team would actually take several virtual reality headsets to retirement communities and give individuals an hour-long activity to engage with.

Then, Covid-19 started to spread across the globe, ultimately leading to the isolation of millions, especially those at risk, like older adults.

Luckily, this is when Viva Vita started developing software that would make it possible for older individuals to experience virtual reality without having Berryman or someone else physically present. Berryman was able to start selling these kits to communities across the country in 2020, eliminating the limitations of geography, which not only made Viva Vita grow exponentially, but also made virtual reality technology even more accessible to those who could benefit from it.

“We are in over 40 states and serving hundreds and thousands of seniors,” Berryman said.

In 2021, Berryman was featured on the TODAY Show to showcase the impact that Viva Vita has had on its users. Below is the video that was released to display how important Viva Vita is to older adults.

When a kit is purchased, there is already a starter library available, the categories curated include travel, education, and relaxation. There is also the option to subscribe for a small fee monthly, which entails a new video once a month typically tailored to the time of year, for example, Ireland in March. Along with the monthly video, comes an activity packet that encompasses a PowerPoint, discussion questions, and numerous other interactive exercises.

“For myself personally and for the business, we also want to change the narrative around aging and around intergenerational activity. We really want to take a stand on ageism and discourage that in the ways that we can,” Berryman said.

Carleigh Berryman continues to pave the way for others by helping to build a stronger relationship between virtual reality and late-life depression. Berryman will remain focusing on spreading respect for everyone, regardless of age. To learn more about Carleigh and Viva Vita you can visit her personal website here!