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Individualized Virtual Reality for Increasing Self-Compassion: Evaluation Study.
Ilona Halim1, Lehan Stemmet2, Sylvia Hach
1School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
JMIR Mental Health
|October 2, 2023
Summary
This study explored individualized virtual reality (iVR) for depression, finding it increased self-compassion and showed potential for reducing depressive symptoms. The iVR approach was rated as usable and acceptable by participants.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health
- Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Depression and anxiety are prevalent, impactful mental health disorders.
- Virtual reality (VR) is established for anxiety treatment, but its use for depression is less explored.
- Individualized VR (iVR) offers a novel therapeutic avenue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if individualized VR (iVR) can enhance self-compassion and reduce depressive symptoms.
- To evaluate participant-rated usability and acceptability of the iVR system.
- To refine the iVR system based on prior user feedback for improved avatar and graphics.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 36 university students for a study on depression treatment.
- Participants completed two iVR sessions, two weeks apart, with assessments at baseline and post-session.
- Measures included self-compassion, depression, usability, and acceptability, with some participants unable to complete the second session due to COVID-19.
Main Results:
- Self-compassion significantly increased after both session 1 (P=.01) and session 2 (P=.03) compared to baseline.
- A non-significant trend indicated reduced depressive symptoms after session 2.
- Participant feedback confirmed the iVR approach was both usable and acceptable.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary findings suggest iVR may effectively enhance self-compassion and potentially alleviate depressive symptoms.
- The iVR system demonstrated good usability and acceptability among participants.
- Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is warranted to confirm these initial results.
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