What Is the Impact of Engaging With Natural Environments Delivered Via Virtual Reality on the Psycho-emotional Health of People With Spinal Cord Injury Receiving Rehabilitation in Hospital? Findings From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Open accessAbstract
Objectives This study investigated (1) the effect of engaging with 20-minute simulated natural environments delivered via virtual reality (VR) on current mood state and (2) the effect of engaging with multiple VR sessions over a period of a week on the depressive symptoms of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI).Design Randomized controlled trial design.Setting Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Australia.Participants Participants (N=24) were assigned to a group engaging in VR sessions during week 1 (group 1, n=10) or week 2 (group 2, n=14).Interventions The intervention week involved participation in up to three 20-minute VR sessions over 3 consecutive days. The control condition involved regular rehabilitation practice over a week.Main outcome measures The Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) was completed prior to the first week (T1), after the first week and prior to the second week (T2), and after the second week (T3). Current feeling states, including depressed/happy, anxious/relaxed, and not feeling good/feeling good, were rated immediately prior and after each VR session.Results Levels of happiness, relaxation, and feeling good were significantly higher subsequent to engaging with each VR session. Between-group differences in PHQ-8 scores were significantly greater for participants who experienced the intervention during the first week compared to participants within the control group: intervention participants had significant improvements in psycho-emotional health. Within-group PHQ-8 scores were reduced for each group subsequent to experiencing the intervention; however, differences were not significant.Conclusions Engaging with simulated natural environments delivered via VR can favorably affect the psycho-emotional health of people with SCI receiving rehabilitation in hospital. Future research including larger samples and investigating the effect over a longer time period is required to confirm the findings presented.
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Among the 15 studies that demonstrated a positive effect, 2 (13%) reported mixed results.
“2 (13%) reported mixed results [40,42], indicating variability in statistical significance across different measures or outcomes”
From Immersive technologies for depression care: scoping review (2024) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Lakhani, A., Martin, K., Gray, L., Mallison, J., Grimbeek, P., Hollins, I., & Mackareth, C.
- Affiliations
- Griffith University (AU)
- Metro South Health (AU)
- Western Sydney University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Lakhani, Ali
- Venue
- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-09
- Volume
- 101
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1532-1540
- ISSN
- 0003-9993 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3034168714
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 3.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- Locations
- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Hopkins
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland
- Griffith University
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Keywords
- virtual reality, spinal cord injury, psycho-emotional health, depressive symptoms, mood states, anxiety, inpatient rehabilitation, PHQ-8, relaxation
- MeSH terms
- Virtual Reality, Adult, Affect, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Australia, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Socioeconomic Factors, Spinal Cord Injuries, Trauma Severity Indices, Nature
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