McGarry Sarah, Brown Ashleigh, Gardner Miranda, Plowright Caitlan, Skou Renee, Thompson Craig
Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Br J Occup Ther. 2023 Aug;86(8):560-567. doi: 10.1177/03080226231165644. Epub 2023 Apr 1.
Psychological stress is ubiquitous in young adults, but traditional relaxation strategies such as mindfulness or meditation are not consistently utilised. Immersive virtual reality (VR) is being increasingly used in mental health contexts with improved clinical outcomes. However, there is limited research exploring the perceived usefulness of VR for individuals without a mental health diagnosis.
To identify if an immersive VR experience was effective in reducing stress for young adults and to explore the experience of the participants.
Twenty-one young adults aged 18-25 years participated in an immersive VR experience. Heart rate was measured pre- and post-test to objectively establish the efficacy of VR to facilitate relaxation. Participants were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview ( = 18) to gain a rich understanding of their experience.
Four themes emerged from analysis of the interviews: . Heart rate reduced during the immersive VR experience.
These findings suggest that immersive VR can reduce psychological stress, and it is perceived by young adults as a useful and time-effective strategy to reduce psychological stress.
心理压力在年轻人中普遍存在，但正念或冥想等传统放松策略并未得到持续应用。沉浸式虚拟现实（VR）在心理健康领域的应用越来越广泛，临床效果也有所改善。然而，针对未被诊断为心理健康问题的个体对VR感知有用性的研究有限。
确定沉浸式VR体验对减轻年轻人压力是否有效，并探索参与者的体验。
21名年龄在18至25岁之间的年轻人参与了沉浸式VR体验。在测试前后测量心率，以客观确定VR促进放松的效果。邀请参与者参加半结构化访谈（n = 18），以深入了解他们的体验。
访谈分析得出四个主题：在沉浸式VR体验期间心率降低。
这些发现表明，沉浸式VR可以减轻心理压力，并且年轻人认为它是减轻心理压力的一种有用且省时的策略。
