Virtual Reality Use for Stress Reduction and Patient Comfort During Chemotherapy

• Authors: Joanna Piskorz , Marcin Czub , Magdalena Mróz , Jarosław Drapała

Abstracts

EN

Background. For many years virtual reality (VR) has been used to support therapy in many clinical contexts. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of VR as an intervention to reduce distress and increase patient comfort during chemotherapy. Participants and Procedure. Twenty-six adult patients of the Haematology Clinic participated in the between-group design study. The experimental group used a VR application during three chemotherapy sessions, while the control group underwent treatment as usual. Participants' task in VR was to locate and destroy cancer cells using drug particles emitted from a virtual weapon. Several self-report measures were used, measuring attitudes towards the chemotherapy session, experiences during the session, items related to using visualization techniques, and questions related to evaluating the VR application. Results. We found a significant difference between groups regarding the experience of the session. Participants in the experimental group reported more sense of control over the treatment process, higher levels of physical comfort, and relaxation. We discuss the implications of these results in various contexts, including gender differences, age, and time between chemotherapy sessions. Conclusions. Virtual Reality applications can effectively influence the experience of the chemotherapy session positively. Its use can also affect the psychological aspects of a patient's treatment process.

Keywords

EN

chemotherapy; oncology patient care; stress reduction; virtual reality; psychological wellbeing

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk
• Journal: Polish Psychological Bulletin
• Year: 2023
• Volume: 54
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 136-155

Dates

published

2023

Contributors

author

Joanna Piskorz

• Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Wroclaw, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000152088276

author

Marcin Czub

• Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Wroclaw, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000301848284

author

Magdalena Mróz

• Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Wroclaw, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000320810839

author

Jarosław Drapała

• Politechnika Wrocławska, Wroclaw, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000272519595

Identifiers

DOI

10.24425/ppb.2023.146586

Biblioteka Nauki

55993267