Virtual reality meditation as a novel approach to decreasing anxiety among neurology residents

<h3>Objective</h3> To determine if a virtual reality-based meditation through a VR headset can be used as a novel tool to effectively reduce self-reported anxiety among neurology residents. A numerical pre- and post- test anxiety scale was used to measure this endpoint. <h3>Background</h3> Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to reduced anxiety in people with anxiety disorders and social phobias. Physician residents are particularly vulnerable to stress as they consistently work long hours, have large workloads, and face psychological and physical demands from both patients and hospital staff. Thus, VR may introduce a new option for anxiety reduction. <h3>Design/Methods</h3> 14 residents in their transitional year planning to pursue neurology and 2nd, and 3rd year neurology residents at an academic medical center participated. Participants wore a VR headset and followed a 15-minute guided meditation session. Self-reported pre- and post- surveys were obtained including the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) of 14 anxiety symptoms. <h3>Results</h3> Surveys showed a greater reported decrease in anxiety among PGY1 residents overall as compared to PGY3 residents. Overall, HAM-A questionnaires showed a significant decrease in composite anxiety scores (p=0.0248). <h3>Conclusions</h3> A VR meditation platform may decrease anxiety among physician residents. Many residents provided positive feedback for future applications of VR-based meditation. Future research may focus on decreasing anxiety amongst other healthcare workers, and expanded to include hospitalized patients.