Akzeptanz, Machbarkeit und Nutzer:innenzufriedenheit einer Virtual-Reality-Entspannungsintervention im ambulanten psychiatrischen Setting während der COVID-19-Pandemie
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly difficult for individuals with mental disorders.Due to governmental restrictions, face-to-face offers for psychiatric outpatients like therapies, psychoeducational groups or relaxation courses were limited.Virtual reality (VR) might be a new possibility to support these patients by providing them with a home-based relaxation tool.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and user satisfaction of a supportive therapy-accompanying, relaxation VR intervention in psychiatric outpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.Methods: The four-weeks VR intervention consisted of regular watching of relaxing videos in the participants' home environment.Sociodemographics, feasibility (frequency of use, user-friendliness), satisfaction (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), quality of life (abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment), and credibility and expectancy (Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire-8) were measured in an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and a per-protocol (PP) analysis of completers.Results: In total, N = 40 patients participated in the study.Most of the participants in the ITT analysis (n = 30, 75.0%) used the VR device three or 4 weeks.A majority of the N = 29 completers (PP: n = 18, 62.1%) used it all 4 weeks.Most participants used the device two or more times a week (ITT: n = 30, 83.3%;PP: n = 26, 89.7%) and described the user-friendliness as rather or very easy (ITT: n = 33, 91.7%; PP: n = 26, 89.7%).User satisfaction was high (ITT: 19.42, SD = 4.08; PP: M = 20.00,SD = 4.19) and did not correlate with participants' sex or age (all p < 0.05).Depressive symptoms and psychological quality of life improved significantly from pre-to post-intervention (ITT and PP, all p < 0.05).Higher pre-intervention credibility significantly correlated with a better outcome of satisfaction (ITT and PP), depressive symptoms, physical, psychological, and social quality of life (PP; all p < 0.05).Conclusion: A supportive therapy-accompanying VR relaxation intervention is feasible and acceptable in a psychiatric outpatient setting.Due to the high satisfaction and user-friendliness, VR can be an easy to implement relaxation tool to support psychiatric outpatients.Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, DRKS00027911.
Author: Humbert, Annika
Institution: Leipzig University
Language: German
Subfield: Applied Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6979801751