Editorial: Taking a break in the “new normal”: virtual reality relaxation for a stressed workforce

Riches, Simon; Smith, Holly

doi:10.1108/mhrj-06-2022-095

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Although participants' interest diminished and technical problems hindered user experience, appraisals of these issues may have been exacerbated due to limited technical assistance, compared to that which they might receive in laboratory-based studies or through greater online support. Nevertheless, participants felt there were positive future applications for VR relaxation, including in the workplace and specific stressful environments (Nijland et al, 2021;Riches et al, 2023b, c;Riches & Smith, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Riches,

Kaleva,

Nicholson

et al. 2024

J. technol. behav. sci.

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High stress levels experienced by young adults were exacerbated by COVID-19 and traditional stress management techniques can be challenging. Virtual reality (VR) relaxation appears promising and is accessible remotely; however, research on young adults is limited, especially in naturalistic settings. This remotely delivered and controlled mixed-methods study investigated feasibility and acceptability of VR relaxation for young adults (N = 23, mean age = 22.96) at home during the pandemic. VR participants (N = 11) were asked to complete daily VR relaxation sessions (scenes of virtual beaches, mountains, the sea, and more) for a 14-day intervention period, alongside visual analogue scales (VAS) of psychological well-being pre- and post-VR sessions. Post-intervention, VR participants completed semi-structured interviews. Control participants (N = 12) received no intervention. Both groups completed outcome measures of psychological well-being pre- and post-intervention periods to evaluate feasibility of remote data collection. VAS results indicated acceptability of daily VR, with significant short-term increases in relaxation, happiness, and connectedness to nature, and decreases in stress, anxiety, and sadness within VR participants. VR usage and 100% completion of outcome measures indicated feasibility of VR relaxation and remote data collection. Qualitative findings suggest participants found the VR relaxing, but interest diminished over time and technical issues hindered user experience. This suggests a more informal, less prescriptive frequency of VR use may be more appealing for young adults, although adherence may relate to technical issues. Greater interactivity and remote technical assistance within VR could increase engagement. Future research should investigate optimal frequency of use, longer-term impact, and technical issues with a larger sample.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Riches,

Kaleva,

Nicholson

et al. 2024

J. technol. behav. sci.

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“…Given that VR and ASMR are both safe and accessible, a hybrid approach could work as a feasible and cost-effective home-or work-based intervention for wellbeing support and stress management in the general population, especially for younger people who actively use social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube (7). Research has indicated the benefits of nature-based VR relaxation in reducing burnout and stress in a range of workforces, including healthcare professionals and other key workers (34)(35)(36)(37). According to Attention Restoration Theory, natural environments support individuals in achieving emotional separation from their concerns, which boosts mental fatigue recovery (38).…”

Section: Complementary Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stepping inside the whispers and tingles: multisensory virtual reality for enhanced relaxation and wellbeing

Kaleva

Riches

2023

Front. Digit. Health

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“…Research indicates its potential as a low-intensity intervention to promote relaxation and reduce stress in people with mental health difficulties (Riches et al , 2023a). The provision of VR relaxation facilities in the workplace may provide a pragmatic approach to enabling employees to de-stress, relax and optimise their mental well-being and may consequently reduce turnover and improve stress-related sick leave across health-care services (Riches and Smith, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating a multi-session virtual reality relaxation intervention for mental health staff: protocol for a feasibility and acceptability study

Martland,

Valmaggia,

Paleri

et al. 2024

MHDT

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Purpose Clinical staff working in mental health services experience high levels of work-related stress, burnout and poor well-being. Increased levels of stress, burnout, depression and anxiety and poorer mental well-being among health-care workers are associated with more sick days, absenteeism, lower work satisfaction, increased staff turnover and reduced quality of patient care. Virtual reality (VR) relaxation is a technique whereby experiences of pleasant and calming environments are accessed through a head-mounted display to promote relaxation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of a study that assesses the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a multi-session VR relaxation intervention amongst mental health professionals, to improve their relaxation levels and mental well-being. Design/methodology/approach The study follows a pre–post-test design. Mental health staff will be recruited for five weeks of VR relaxation. The authors will measure the feasibility and acceptability of the VR relaxation intervention as primary outcomes, alongside secondary outcomes evaluating the benefits of VR relaxation for mental well-being. Findings The study aims to recruit 20–25 health-care professionals working in both inpatient and specialist community mental health settings. Originality/value Research indicates the potential of VR relaxation as a low-intensity intervention to promote relaxation and reduce stress in the workplace. If VR relaxation is shown to be feasible and acceptable, when delivered across multiple sessions, there would be scope for large-scale work to investigate its effectiveness as an approach to enable health-care professionals to de-stress, relax and optimise their mental well-being. In turn, this may consequently reduce turnover and improve stress-related sick leave across health-care services.

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Editorial: Taking a break in the “new normal”: virtual reality relaxation for a stressed workforce

Cited by 15 publications

References 28 publications

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Stepping inside the whispers and tingles: multisensory virtual reality for enhanced relaxation and wellbeing

Investigating a multi-session virtual reality relaxation intervention for mental health staff: protocol for a feasibility and acceptability study

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