Investigating the effects of a virtual reality‐based stress management programme on inpatients with mental disorders: A pilot randomised controlled trial

Abstract

T his study aimed to examine the effects and feasibility of a virtual screen-based stress management programme (V-DESSERTS) on inpatients with mental disorders. A single-blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Convenience sampling was used and participants were randomised into either the intervention group or the waitlisted control group (WL). The intervention group received individual-based, twice-daily sessions of the programme. Each session comprised education and virtual screen-based relaxation practice. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires and physiological measures. The intervention group showed a significant increase in perceived relaxation and knowledge in comparison with the WL group. However, inconclusive results were observed on subjective and objective stress. The findings in this study indicated that the V-DESSERTS programme is feasible to be implemented for patients with schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders.

Application of Immersive Virtual Reality for Assessment and Intervention in Psychosis: A Systematic Review

“…For stress relaxation intervention, the participants practiced relaxation by watching nature videos with or without audio guidance, and some videos had interactive elements to increase enjoyment [ 12 , 42 , 43 , 44 ].…”

“…The RCT conducted by Freeman et al (2016) required the participants to attend one session only, which lasted about 60–90 min in the VR laboratory [ 41 ]. Another pilot RCT led by Tan et al (2021) consisted of two individual sessions on the same day, each lasting 40 min [ 12 ]. For the rest of the studies, the length of each session varied from 10 to 90 min.…”

“…VR relaxation therapy reduced anxiolytic effects and improved the PANSS scores of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder [ 43 ]. The patients who completed V-DESSERTS intervention reported significantly higher perceived relaxation and knowledge, but there were inconclusive results on subjective and objective stress reduction [ 12 ]. Compared to standardized relaxation exercise, VRelax produced a statistically significant reduction in negative affective states and improved positive affective states as well as psychiatric symptoms [ 44 ].…”

“…Most of them reported a strong sense of presence in the VR environments and minimal simulation sickness [ 29 , 31 , 32 , 43 , 44 ], and one study further suggested there was a strong correlation between real-world symptoms and those induced in VR [ 20 ]. The patients in Vass et al (2020) [ 37 ] and Tan et al (2020) [ 12 ] reported that VR tools were engaging, interesting, and safe to use. Participants in Rus-Calafell et al (2014) [ 27 ] reported a high level of satisfaction with regard to the perceived intervention’s benefits and the psychologist’s work, as well as acceptance (non-aversive) of the use of VR.…”

“…VR could also offer a greater degree of privacy, facilitate self-training, and lower the demand for therapists’ time [ 10 , 11 ]. Moreover, some VR technologies offer interactive components such as a virtual 360-degree landscape and the provision of immediate feedback, making the application even more appealing and entertaining [ 12 ]. Technological advances continue to drive the development of VR, which is expected to improve in its functions, including in the experience of immersiveness.…”