Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2025
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Exploring the use of virtual reality to manage distress in adolescent patients in emergency departments: A
Elham Zolfaghari1,2, Brad Ridout3, Sharon Medlow1,2
1Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Objective:
The present study aimed to explore the feasibility and potential benefits of deploying virtual reality (VR) for adolescents in the ED.
Methods:
This multi-centre study was undertaken in paediatric and adult EDs in two university teaching hospitals. Twenty-six participants who had voluntarily attended the ED received the VR intervention. Pre- and post-measures assessing changes in state anxiety, stress and affect, and physical biomarkers were obtained.
Results:
The use of VR intervention was associated with significant reductions in distress (Short State Stress Questionnaire - Distress Subscale; t = 4.55, P < 0.001) and negative affect (the International Positive and Negative Affect Scale - Short Form version; t = 4.99, P < 0.001). Most participants chose 'Netflix' as their content of choice. The technology was well received by the participants with subjective reports indicating that receiving VR intervention was 'insanely cool', 'takes you away from what's actually happening' and some participants felt 'privileged to get this experience in a hospital'.
Conclusions:
VR technology can effectively be used in EDs to assist adolescents and young adults better manage their distress and take steps towards activating more self-control mechanisms that will in turn allow for more meaningful engagements to be established with health clinicians. This technology has broad implications for reducing distress in adolescents in a variety of clinical contexts.
