The Advances of Immersive Virtual Reality Interventions for the Enhancement of Stress Management and Relaxation among Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The rapid changes in human contacts due to the COVID-19 crisis have not only posed a huge burden on the population’s health but may have also increased the demand for evidence-based psychological programs delivered through digital technology. A systematic review, following the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)” guidelines, was therefore conducted to explore the advances in stress management interventions utilizing VR and suggest up-to-date directions for future practice. The relevant literature was screened and the search resulted in 22,312 records, of which 16 studies were considered for analysis. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) was also employed to assess the quality of the included studies. The results suggest that VR-based interventions can facilitate positive changes in subjective stress levels and stress-related biomarkers. However, special attention should be paid to the development of rigorous VR protocols that embrace natural elements and concepts deriving from traditional treatment approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Overall, this review aims to empower future researchers to grasp the opportunity that the COVID-19 pandemic generated and utilize digital technologies for strengthening individuals’ mental health. Future projects need to conduct large-scale VR studies to evaluate their effectiveness compared to other mental health interventions.

Toward immersive communications in 6G

“…Gaming Hu et al, 2019;Carroll and Yildirim, 2021;Rega andSaxena, 2022 E-learning Kavanagh et al, 2017;Ahmad et al, 2021;Harvey et al, 2021 Makransky andPetersen, 2021 Teleconference Siemonsma and Bell, 2022;Zhang Y. et al, 2022 Tele-operation Choi et al, 2018;Lee et al, 2021E-heath Jumreornvong et al, 2020Velana et al, 2022E-commerce Speicher et al, 2017Ornati, 2022 Smart home Eckstein et al, 2019;Zhu et al, 2020Manufacturing Lipton et al, 2017Aijaz and Sooriyabandara, 2018 Tourism and travel Han and Jung, 2018;Chun et al, 2022Metaverse Wang et al, 2022bXu et al, 2022; a remote participant joins the holographic teleconference, 3D visual information and the corresponding audio information of the participant can be captured by multiple sensors, transmitted, and then reconstructed as a hologram on the side of other participants to provide 3D audiovisual information for interactions among participants (Strinati et al, 2019). In this case, holographic teleconference can reduce the impact on participants of the separation between the virtual and the physical worlds.…”

Toward Immersive Communications in 6G

“…1, i.e., XR, haptic communication, and holographic communication. 1 Via introducing the concept, basic implementation procedure, and the network requirements Teleconference [28], [75] Tele-operation [54], [68] E-heath [64], [87] E-commerce [88], [89] Smart home [90], [91] Manufacturing [92], [93] Tourism and travel [94], [95] Metaverse [9], [45], [77], [96] for each of the three forms, we aim to sketch an overall picture of immersive communications. The requirements of representative immersive communications use cases are illustrated in Fig.…”

Electroencephalographic Biomarkers of Relaxation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Notably, meditation and yoga have long attracted the attention of clinicians and therapists as interventions that induce relaxation for improved physical and mental health (Gillani & Smith, 2001; Jain et al, 2007; Manzoni et al, 2008; Vempati & Telles, 2002). More recent methods include pleasant and calming virtual environments experienced through immersive head-mounted displays (Riches et al, 2021; Velana et al, 2022) and neurofeedback techniques to achieve relaxation utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements (Biswas & Ray, 2019; Grosselin et al, 2021).…”