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The use of Biofeedback in Clinical Virtual Reality: The INTREPID Project
Published on: November 12, 2009
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Virtual Reality Breathing Interventions for Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized
Gabriela Cortez-Vázquez1,2, Marcel Adriaanse1,2, George Louis Burchell3
1Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
|January 18, 2024
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) breathing exercises show no significant mental health benefits over traditional methods. Current evidence does not support VR as superior for improving stress, anxiety, mood, or physiological markers.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health
- Behavioral Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Breathing exercises are recognized for mitigating mental health issues.
- Virtual reality (VR) interventions are hypothesized to enhance these benefits.
- Comparative efficacy of VR versus non-VR breathing interventions remains under-researched.
Approach:
- Systematic literature search across six databases (inception–Sept 2022).
- Inclusion of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults comparing VR and non-VR breathing interventions.
- Meta-analysis of mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, mood) and physiological markers (HR, HRV).
Key Points:
- No significant differences found in mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, mood) between VR and non-VR breathing interventions.
- Physiological stress measures, including heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), showed no significant differences.
- Participant likeability and intention for future use did not differ significantly between VR and non-VR interventions.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence does not support VR breathing interventions being more effective than non-VR alternatives for improving mental health or physiological stress.
- Further research is needed to explore potential long-term advantages and underlying mechanisms of VR implementation.
- The study highlights the need for more robust evidence before widespread adoption of VR for mental health breathing exercises.
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