Feasibility of a Virtual reality-based psychoeducational tool (VRight) for depressive patients Articles uri icon

authors

  • Migoya Borja, Marta
  • Alegria, Margarita
  • BACA GARCIA, ENRIQUE
  • DELGADO GOMEZ, DAVID
  • Carmona-Camacho, Rodrigo
  • Porras-Segovia, Alejandro
  • LOPEZ MORIÑIGO, JAVIER
  • Sanchez-Alonso, Montserrat
  • Albarracin Garcia, Lucia
  • GUERRA CARRASCO, NURIA
  • BARRIGON ESTEVEZ, MARIA LUISA

publication date

  • April 2020

start page

  • 246

end page

  • 252

issue

  • 4

volume

  • 23

abstract

  • E-health is opening new prospects in the management of mental disorders. Virtual reality (VR)-based interventions, which provide a safe nonjudging environment, may improve symptoms awareness in patients withdepressive disorders. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a novel VR software, the VRight, indepressive patients. Adult outpatients with depressive disorders presenting to our mental health clinic duringDecember 2018 were invited to participate in the study. Participants completed a satisfaction survey at the endof the session, including questions about user-friendliness and about usefulness of the software. The PatientHealth Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was administered to participants before and after the VR-based intervention toassess depressive symptoms severity. We explored the correlation between the score difference and the variables: age, gender, and initial score. Twenty-eight patients (71.4 percent women, mean age: 51.18 &- 16.13 years)were recruited. Thirteen subjects had major depressive disorder (46.4 percent). Most of the patients (n = 26)were satisfied with the VR experience, which they found to be helpful. PHQ-9 score difference and the initialscore correlated positively at a significant level. There was no significant correlation between score differenceand age or gender. VRight was well accepted among depressive patients, showing high levels of satisfaction.The VRight could contribute to increase depressive symptoms awareness, which is of clinical relevance giventhe association of greater insight with positive outcomes in depression. Further studies are needed to confirm theeffectiveness of VRight as a psychoeducational tool in clinical practice.

keywords

  • depression; e-health; psychoeducation; virtual reality