A pilot study of a nature-based virtual reality program on mental health among Korean immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background:The health disparity between non-immigrant and immigrant adults in utilization of formal health services as well as community-based programs has been a critical issue. The social contact restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have been an additional contributor to mental health problems as Asian immigrants encounter barriers to interacting with others and engaging in meaningful activities. Objective: The purpose of the study was to capture health benefits reported by Korean, immigrants after experiencing a nature-based VR program. Method: We carried out semi-structured in-depth interviews with six participants. Results: Four important themes were identified as health benefits that nature-based VR participation provided for the participants: (1) enjoyment, (2) positive emotion, (3) reduction of stress, and (4) positive interaction. Conclusion:These themes indicate that nature-based VR can be an effective treatment program for health promotion among Korean immigrants.

Exploring the health benefits of a mobile-based multidomain lifestyle program for older adults living in assisted living facilities

“…Our research team developed an interview protocol based on previous technology-based studies (30,31) and adopted the content mapping and mining strategies suggested by Legard et al(32) to formulate interview questions. The purpose of the content mapping questions was to broadly explore the technology-based experiences of each participant, for example, "Could you tell me about your overall Silvia Program App experience?"…”