The Benefits of Virtual Reality Travel on Symptom Burden and Mental Health of Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Context: Hemodialysis (HD) patients often face a heavy symptom burden, low subjective well-being, and high perceived stress. Traditional nonpharmacological interventions have limited effectiveness in improving this situation. Virtual reality (VR) technology, as an emerging approach, has shown significant advantages in alleviating symptom burden and enhancing mental health.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of a single VR travel session for HD patients and to examine its impact on symptom burden, subjective well-being, and perceived stress.

Methods: This study adopted an embedded design, providing approximately 10 minutes of natural VR travel experience using VR head-mounted displays (HMD). The effectiveness of a single VR travel session for HD patients was evaluated. Quantitative data were collected through self-reported surveys using the Dialysis Frequency Severity and Symptom Burden Index (DFSSBI) to assess symptom burden, the General Well-Being Schedule (GWBS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to evaluate well-being and stress. Postintervention, a modified single-item questionnaire assessed patient satisfaction with the VR travel experience. An open-ended question was included to capture patients' experiential feedback.

Results: Twenty HD patients, with a mean age of 41.30 (9.82) years, completed the VR travel and subsequent assessments. The cohort comprised 35% female and 65% male participants. The VR travel significantly improved symptom burden (t = 3.64, P = 0.002), increased subjective well-being (t = -6.12, P < 0.001), and reduced perceived stress (t = 4.16, P = 0.001). The postintervention satisfaction score was 7.35 (1.35) out of 10, and participants provided positive feedback on their VR travel experience.

Conclusion: A single VR travel session can alleviate symptom burden, enhance subjective well-being, and reduce perceived stress in HD patients. Participants reported high satisfaction and positive emotional responses, suggesting that this experience could be integrated into care routines as a nonpharmacological intervention to improve symptom burden and mental health in HD patients.

Clinical trial registration: [www.chictr.org.cn], identifier [ChiCTR2400082781].

Keywords: Virtual reality; hemodialysis; perceived stress; subjective well-being; symptom burden; travel.