Psychoeducation on Stress and Anxiety Using Virtual Reality: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Virtual reality can help individuals to manage stress and anxiety. In addition to its efficacy in reducing stress and anxiety through relaxation, virtual reality can be helpful for psychoeducation. However, to date, few studies have explored this topic. Therefore, this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study, aimed to investigate the usability, sense of presence, emotional response, and effect on learning of MIND-VR, a psychoeducational virtual experience created to offer information on stress and anxiety. Twenty healthcare workers (60% female; mean age 43 ± 10) tried MIND-VR. Psychometric outcomes served as quantitative variables, while participant interviews provided qualitative data. Results showed that the virtual reality psychoeducational experience: (a) was highly usable and satisfying; (b) increased positive emotions (i.e., happiness and surprise) and decreased negative emotions (i.e., fear, sadness) and state anxiety; (c) elicited a strong sense of presence, especially spatial presence; and (d) was practical, simple, motivating, and engaging for learning information about stress and anxiety. These findings offer promising insights into that virtual reality may be an effective tool to provide psychoeducation.

Keywords

• virtual reality
• psychoeducation
• stress and anxiety management
• anxiety
• stress
• healthcare workers