Virtual Reality Interventions for Stress Reduction in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Technology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Rising mental demands necessitate effective stress management strategies.
• Chronic stress has adverse health consequences.
• Virtual reality (VR) shows promise as an effective stress reduction intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and compare VR interventions for stress reduction.
• To identify predictors of VR effectiveness in the general population.
• To analyze sample characteristics and intervention design factors.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of five databases for randomized controlled trials.
• Inclusion criteria: primary focus on stress reduction, neutral control, validated stress measurement.
• Exclusion criteria: mental disorders, medical procedures; data extraction and bias assessment by two reviewers.

Main Results:

• 55 studies met criteria; 39 studies (4024 participants) included in meta-analysis.
• VR significantly reduced stress (-0.55), anxiety (-0.88), depression (-0.34), and improved positive emotion (-0.64).
• Multiple VR sessions and higher image refresh rates predicted greater stress reduction.

Conclusions:

• VR interventions demonstrate significant potential for reducing psychological stress in the general population.
• VR offers a viable alternative to traditional methods, especially when access is limited.
• This review quantifies effects and compares diverse VR approaches for stress reduction.