Virtual reality breaks for stress reduction among graduate and dental students

Throughout their years of education, health science graduate and professional students complete countless hours of studying and taking exams, which can elevate the stress on these students in addition to their natural strains outside of school. Identifying a method to help reduce academic stress could be critical to positively impact student health and well-being. One of the emerging methods of stress reduction in current research is the use of virtual reality (VR) with biofeedback, which is a process that allows the user to gain conscious control of otherwise unnoticed bodily functions to change autonomic nervous system control. This research aimed to investigate whether VR biofeedback could help students manage stress in an academic setting. The authors monitored the heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and self-reported stress levels in 22 health science students while they used a VR headset to complete an immersive activity that guided users in diaphragmatic breathing within a calming virtual environment. While there were no significant changes in heart rate variability (HRV) or mean arterial pressure after the VR session, participants self-reported decreased stress levels. The participants also positively evaluated the experience with the VR headset and noted that the session was calming and engaging. Future research could use a similar process to evaluate participants directly before they take an exam or complete another stressful task and assess the effect of using biofeedback on academic performance.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as an effective tool for reducing stress but has not been tested among trainees experiencing high academic pressures. Flowborne is a free VR application that guides users in diaphragmatic breathing within a calming virtual environment. Rhythmic breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to lower heart rate, anxiety, and stress. This study suggested that participants perceive VR biofeedback as a promising tool for enhancing relaxation in an academic setting. .