Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Virtual Reality Training on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Chinese University Students

A 2-week virtual reality intervention was conducted among university students in China. Sixty participants were randomized to three groups namely: (1)“Mindfulness VR”, (2) “Relaxing Music VR”, or (3) “Blank Control”. Participants' depression, anxiety, and stress levels were measured at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 12-week follow-up. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired-sample t-tests were performed to compare the effects of interventions on negative emotions outcomes.

As compared to the control group, Mindfulness VR group and Relaxing Music VR group led to a decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The least significant difference test showed that Mindfulness VR group performed the best in reducing depression, anxiety, and stress levels. However, the paired-samples t-test showed no statistically significant differences in depression, anxiety, and stress levels across the three groups at both the 2-week and 12-week follow-up periods.