Subjective Experience on Virtual Reality-Assisted Mental Health Promotion Program

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Community Health Programs

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly utilized in mental health promotion.
• Accessibility remains a key challenge for community mental health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the subjective experience of a VR-assisted mental health program.
• To assess the program's impact on depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life.
• To determine the effectiveness of a mobile VR bus for community accessibility.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-six participants engaged in a VR mental health program on a bus.
• Subjective experiences of depression and stress were measured pre- and post-intervention.
• Statistical analysis (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) compared changes in mental health states.
• Participant satisfaction with the VR program was assessed.

Main Results:

• The VR program significantly reduced depression (p=0.036) and perceived stress (p=0.010) in all participants.
• High-risk individuals showed significant improvements in depressive (p=0.033) and stress (p=0.035) feelings.
• No significant changes were observed in the healthy group for depressive (p=0.182) or stress (p=0.058) feelings.
• 72% of participants reported high satisfaction (≥80 points).

Conclusions:

• VR-assisted mental health promotion programs show efficacy in improving subjective depressive and stressful feelings.
• Utilizing VR programs on buses enhances accessibility for community mental health promotion.
• This mobile VR approach offers a viable strategy for broader mental health outreach.