Effects of Using Guided Deep Breathing Exercises in a Virtual Natural Environment to Reduce Stress during Pediatric...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric medicine
• Psychology
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Treatment anxiety is a significant concern in pediatric care.
• Deep breathing exercises and virtual natural environments are known stress-reduction techniques.
• Combining these methods may offer a novel approach to pediatric anxiety management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR) application integrating deep breathing exercises and virtual natural environments.
• To assess the impact of this VR intervention on treatment anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing invasive procedures.

Main Methods:

• A feasibility study with a within-subjects design was conducted.
• Twenty-one child patients (aged 8-12) used a custom-developed VR relaxation application during intravenous cannulation.
• Stress levels were measured using heart rate variability (HRV) parameters.

Main Results:

• The VR intervention resulted in a statistically significant reduction in stress.
• Key HRV metrics (SDNN, RMSSD, Stress Index, LF/HF ratio) showed significant improvements (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, p = 0.010, respectively).
• Stress reduction was consistent across patients regardless of general anxiety or needle phobia levels; no adverse effects were reported.

Conclusions:

• Deep breathing exercises within virtual natural environments show strong potential for reducing treatment anxiety in pediatric patients.
• VR relaxation applications can be a safe and effective tool for managing anxiety during invasive medical procedures in children.
• This approach offers a promising non-pharmacological strategy for improving pediatric procedural experiences.