AUTHOR=Soh Desmond Jun Hong , Ong Crystal Huiyi , Fan Qianqian , Seah Denise Ju Ling , Henderson Stacey Lee , Jeevanandam Lohsnah , Doshi Kinjal 

TITLE=Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality for the Delivery and Practice of Stress-Management Exercises

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640341

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640341

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Mindfulness-based interventions may benefit healthcare professionals with burnout symptoms. Virtual reality (VR) may reduce initial difficulty of engaging in mindfulness exercises and increase participants’ engagement through immersion and presence.</p></sec><sec><title>Aim</title><p>The aim was to investigate how VR affects participants’ experience of engagement with mindfulness practice, and its impact on quality of practice and negative mood states.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Fifty-one healthcare professionals were randomized to receive either a visualization or non-visualization mindfulness practice, to compare the quality of practice through the use of audio only vs. with a virtual reality interface. Selected self-reported measures were collected during the session (immersion, quality and difficulty of practice, mood states and likelihood for future practice).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Results showed that order instead of type of modality administered made a difference in quality of mindfulness practice. A greater sense of presence was reported with VR if administered after audio (<italic>F</italic> = 4.810, <italic>p</italic> = 0.033, Partial η<sup>2</sup> = 0.093). Further, participants described difficulty practicing with audio if administered after VR (<italic>F</italic> = 4.136, <italic>p</italic> = 0.048, Partial η<sup>2</sup> = 0.081). Additionally, lower mood disturbance was reported with VR if administered after audio (<italic>F</italic> = 8.116, <italic>p</italic> = 0.006, Partial η<sup>2</sup> = 0.147). Qualitative responses echoed a preference for VR to engage better, in addition to improved mood states after practice.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Findings suggest that VR has the potential to provide healthcare professionals with an alternative or a supplement to conventional mindfulness practice.</p></sec>