The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected students’ mental health. Even after the threat has ended, symptoms of depression, high levels of stress and anxiety are present among students. The pandemic has left negative effects that require effective mitigation measures. With the mental health of students in mind, Opole Technical University has implemented a support program through VR TierOne GO. Let’s take a look at the scientific aspect of this project.
Research context – students’ need for psychological support
The period of pandemic isolation and remote learning has become a factor in causing negative psychological effects among students. The pandemic worsened the mental health of students, which drew attention to the need for support, stress relief and symptoms of depression. One of the scientific and research centers that recognized this problem was the Opole University of Technology. This university, in response to alarming data on the mental state of students, initiated an innovative mental health improvement program aimed at Opole university students, with Virtual Reality playing a central role.
A scientific approach – VR relaxation for student health
In addition to its social value, the support project included a scientific component to verify the effectiveness of a mental health improvement program using Virtual Reality. The initiative consisted of creating a relaxation room equipped with VR goggles and sensors to monitor the reactions of participating students. The data collected from the sensors made it possible to assess the effects of VR relaxation therapy on the autonomic nervous system. The study was coordinated by Sebastian Rutkowski, PhD (Chair of the Department of Physical Education at Opole University of Technology) a scientist with a long-standing focus on the use of VR in physical and mental rehabilitation. The goal of the research project carried out by Dr. Rutkowski in cooperation with the SKN “Descartes Error” was to evaluate an innovative program of relaxation sessions using immersive VR in students.
Course of the study – immersive VR TierOne GO intervention
The study received approval from the bioethics committee and was registered in the clinicaltrials.gov database under the number NCT06480409. The study included 53 subjects (measurements of 50 subjects were used) aged 19-25, who were students at Opole universities. Prior to the intervention, the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) questionnaire was used to assess the subjects’ level of stress over the past month. Study participants participated in 10-minute relaxation sessions for 5 days using VR TierOne GO goggles. These goggles contain high-quality 360° VR videos with voiceover, nature sounds and music, enabling an immersive VR experience. The study measured HRV heart rate variability using a precision sensor placed on the subjects’ chest during the relaxation goggles intervention. HRV was measured at 4 time points: before, twice during the VR video screening, and after the session with the VR goggles. During the sessions, participants sat in a comfortable and stable position, which ensured comfort as well as accuracy of the measurements.
HRV (from Heart Rate Variability) heart rate variability, sinus rhythm variability, is the most widely used indicator to objectively assess the level of physiological stress and the recovery process. HRV carries information about the functioning of two opposing components of the autonomic nervous system – the sympathetic (excitatory) and parasympathetic (inhibitory) systems. High heart rate variability is indicative of health and well-being, while low variability can occur in chronic stress, fatigue and health problems.
Results and conclusions – the effect of virtual relaxation on health
HRV analysis showed improvements in the participants’ parasympathetic activity parameters. The results of the study proved that sessions using VR TierOne GO help reduce stress in students. Regular use of VR as a relaxation tool may have a cumulative effect on improving the regulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, the axis of which is the vagus nerve. This, in turn, could lead to long-term improvements in participants’ overall health and well-being. The study showed promising potential for using VR as an effective tool in relaxation therapy and as a method to promote mental health among students. The results encourage the integration of VR into therapeutic practices, prevention programs and stress management strategies. In 2024, the results of a study titled: “A program to improve students’ mental health using virtual reality – a solution or a white elephant?” were presented by Magdalena Nowak (Student Scientific Club ‘Descartes Error’) at the Second Congress of the National Chamber of Physiotherapists (KIF) in Krakow, Poland, winning an honorable second prize in the oral presentations session. The validity of supporting the psyche of the academic community with VR TierOne GO was confirmed in the study. The results can be inspiring for those seeking effective forms of mental health care and valuable for those caring for well-being in this innovative way.
