It was marketed as behavioral therapy, to help people get over psychological aversions to e.g. eye contact. This may or may not have been a smokescreen over other reasons why people would purchase that video. (Source: it was covered in general Japanese media some years ago.)
It seems like an incredibly odd method for getting used to human interaction. Showing a bizarre staring video instead of actual human interaction.
I don't know anything about Japanese culture but just based on whatever random bits I've picked up - it doesn't surprise me to see a video or a robot used to avoid an uncomfortable confrontation with a depressed person.
