Journey’s Journal: A Virtual Reality-Assisted Emotional Literacy Program for Psychological Recovery among Vulnerable Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Adolescent girls experiencing unwanted pregnancy often face severe psychological distress, including anxiety, emotional instability, low self-esteem, and social stigma. These conditions highlight the need for innovative psychosocial interventions that support emotional recovery and resilience. This community empowerment program aimed to improve emotional literacy and psychological well-being among vulnerable adolescent girls at Griya Welas Asih, a shelter home in Semarang, Indonesia, through the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) Healing and reflective journaling activities known as Journey’s Journal. The program employed the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach consisting of four stages: discovery, dream, design, and destiny. Program activities included VR Healing sessions, reflective writing through Journey’s Journal, Reflective Tree activities, and group reflection sessions called Tali Kasih. Evaluation was conducted using pretest and posttest assessments to measure changes in stress and anxiety management, resilience, self-acceptance, and emotional literacy. The findings demonstrated positive psychological improvements among participants. Participants’ stress and anxiety management abilities improved from 41.42% to 63.57%, resilience increased from 35.00% to 82.85%, and self-acceptance and emotional literacy improved from 40.71% to 82.85%. The integration of low-cost VR technology and emotional literacy activities effectively supported psychosocial recovery, strengthened resilience, and fostered positive emotional expression among participants. This program also contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality).