Effects of a Virtual Reality-Based Meditation Intervention on Anxiety and Depression Among Patients With Acute Leukemia During Induction Chemotherapy
Bixia Zhang, Xiaohuan Jin, X. Kuang, Biyu Shen, Ding-Rong Qiu, Jin-Rui Peng, Erhui Chen, Xiping Dai, Xiaolin Chen, C. Wong
Cancer Nursing January 23, 2023 DOI: 10.1097/ncc.0000000000001206 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 63 |
| Population | Patients newly diagnosed with acute leukemia undergoing induction chemotherapy |
| Intervention | Virtual reality-based meditation |
| Dose | 20 min daily for 14 days |
| Duration | 14-day intervention; outcomes measured at baseline and post-intervention |
| Measures | State Anxiety Inventory, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia Questionnaire |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | VR-based meditation for 20 minutes daily for 14 days significantly reduced anxiety and improved quality of life compared with a control group, but did not significantly reduce depression, although a decreasing trend was observed. The authors conclude that VR-based meditation effectively alleviated anxiety and improved quality of life in this population. |
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence supports that virtual reality (VR)–based meditation interventions may improve anxiety and depression among patients with cancer. However, empirical studies involving patients with acute leukemia during induction chemotherapy are limited.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of VR-based meditation intervention on alleviating anxiety and depression and improving the quality of life among patients with acute leukemia during induction chemotherapy.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial recruited 63 patients newly diagnosed with acute leukemia. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (received VR-based meditation for 20 min daily for 14 days) and a control group. Anxiety, depression, and quality of life were measured using the State Anxiety Inventory, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia Questionnaire, respectively. All outcomes were measured at baseline and post-intervention.
Results: Compared with patients in the control group, those in the intervention group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in anxiety (P = .04) and improvement in quality of life (P = .04). However, no significant difference was noted in depression levels between groups (P = .09), although a decreasing trend was observed in the intervention group.
Conclusion: Virtual reality–based meditation intervention effectively alleviated anxiety and improved the quality of life among acute leukemia patients during induction chemotherapy. Future randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are warranted. Implication for Practice Virtual reality–based meditation can be applied in clinical practice virtually anytime and anywhere to provide a convenient intervention for anxiety reduction for acute leukemia patients during induction chemotherapy.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- A systematic review on mindfulness-based immersive interventions in depressive disorders npj Mental Health Research April 2, 2026
- Global landscape and hotspot analysis of meditation research in cancer: a bibliometric study. Journal of Cancer Survivorship April 5, 2025
- Effects of virtual reality mindfulness interventions on depression and anxiety: a meta-analysis European Journal of Psychotraumatology May 26, 2026
Cites 8
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Meditation for adults with haematological malignancies Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews February 3, 2016
- Effects of Mindfulness Meditation Intervention on Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2022
- Mindfulness Meditation Leads To Increased Dispositional Mindfulness And Interoceptive Awareness Linked To A Reduced Dissociative Tendency Journal of Trauma & Dissociation June 2, 2021
- The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders October 7, 2020
and 3 more in the library