Feasibility of Virtual Reality for Mental Health in Long-Term Care in Rural Populations

Abstract

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term care residents have been disproportionately affected both physically and mentally. Increased restrictions have worsened long-term care residents’ mental health and have increased feelings of isolation and loneliness. This pilot study explores the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) technology used by long-term care residents for mental health in a rural area of southern Illinois. We captured long-term care residents’ thoughts, feelings, and knowledge of VR using a pre-test and post-test design following an educational session introducing VR. Participants were then offered the opportunity to use the technology, with 9 out of the 11 participants watching a 360⁰ video using the VR headset. All participants who tried the VR headset noted that they were more willing to try VR in the future. While no statistically significant changes in mood from before and after the session were found, the results suggest that the use of VR for mental health in long-term care populations is more feasible when paired with an educational session before intervention.