Immersive virtual reality: An effective strategy for reducing stress in young adults.

The sample was small and recruited through social media and snowball sampling, so it may not represent all young adults. Only 18 of the 21 participants completed both aspects of the study; one could not complete the VR session or post-session heart-rate measurement because of visual disturbances, and two had unusable heart-rate measurements because the chest strap malfunctioned. The session combined sitting in a quiet room, a 15-minute rest period, headset use, controller interaction, and a beach soundscape, so the contribution of the VR program alone cannot be separated. There was no control group, so the study cannot show whether the relaxation and heart-rate change were caused by VR rather than by sitting, resting, or simply taking a break. The authors noted that exact resting heart-rate data were not known. The study looked at a single VR session, so it does not show whether repeated use would help stress over days or weeks. Member checking was attempted, but no participants responded.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication.

Do not read this as proof that immersive VR reduces stress. The study was small, had no control group, and the authors said the heart-rate decrease could have been caused by sitting and resting rather than by the VR session.