A Single Session of Virtual Reality Improved Tiredness, Shortness of Breath, Anxiety, Depression and Well-Being in Hospitalized Individuals with COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Open accessAbstract
Background: In 2020, the world was surprised by the spread and mass contamination of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19). COVID-19 produces symptoms ranging from a common cold to severe symptoms that can lead to death. Several strategies have been implemented to improve the well-being of patients during their hospitalization, and virtual reality (VR) has been used. However, whether patients hospitalized for COVID-19 can benefit from this intervention remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether VR contributes to the control of pain symptoms, the sensation of dyspnea, perception of well-being, anxiety, and depression in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was designed. Patients underwent a single session of VR and usual care. The experimental group (n = 22) received VR content to promote relaxation, distraction, and stress relief, whereas the control group (n = 22) received non-specific VR content. Results: The experimental group reported a significant decrease in tiredness, shortness of breath, anxiety, and an increase in the feeling of well-being, whereas the control group showed improvement only in the tiredness and anxiety. Conclusions: VR is a resource that may improve the symptoms of tiredness, shortness of breath, anxiety, and depression in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Future studies should investigate the effect of multiple VR sessions on individuals with COVID-19.
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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 [42]
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References 34 · Cited by 25
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [22]Monteiro D.d.R. Escala de Edmonton e Cuidados Paliativos. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Nursing School 2009 Available online: http://hdl.handle.net/10183/24699 (accessed on 20 November 2020)
- Authors
- Rodrigues, I. M., Lima, A. G., Santos, A. E. D., Santos, A. C. A., Nascimento, L. S. D., Serra, M. V. C. L., Pereira, T. D. J. S., Barbosa, F. D. S., Seixas, V. M., Monte-Silva, K., Scipioni, K. R. D. D. S., Cruz, D. M. C. D., Piscitelli, D., Goffredo, M., Gois-Junior, M. B., & Zanona, A. D. F.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe (BR)
- Occupational Therapy Service, Hospital Universitário Lagarto, Lagarto 49400-000, SE, Brazil
- Occupational Therapy Service, Hospital Regional Dr. Jessé Fontes, Estância 49400-000, SE, Brazil
- Occupational Therapy Service, Hospital de Urgencias de Sergipe, Aracaju 49095-000, SE, Brazil
- Occupational Therapy Service, Hospital Getúlio Vargas, Recife 49095-000, PE, Brazil
- Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio (BR)
- Postgraduate Program in Applied Health Sciences (PPGCAS), Lagarto 49400-000, SE, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR)
- Leeds Beckett University (GB)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- IRCCS San Raffaele Roma (IT)
- Laboratory of Motor Control and Body Balance (LCMEP), Center for Health Science, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju 49400-000, SE, Brazil
- Corresponding author
- Goffredo, Michela
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Personalized Medicine
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2022-05-19
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 829
- ISSN
- 2075-4426 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9143462
- OpenAlex
- W4280488451
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5
- FWCI
- 4.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Personalized Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Leeds Beckett Repository (Leeds Beckett University) (acceptedVersion)
- BOA (University of Milano-Bicocca) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Ministry of Health (ricerca corrente), Italy
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Keywords
- virtual reality, COVID-19 pandemic, hospitalized patients, fatigue, dyspnea, anxiety, depression, well-being, relaxation, distraction, stress reduction, pain management
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