psychological effects of a virtual reality-based treatment
Marina Holanda Kunst, Eliane de Holanda Silva, Willams de Lima Costa, F. Peres, C. Mauricio, Fátima L. S. Nunes, W. Correia, J. M. Teixeira
Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society August 13, 2026 DOI: 10.5753/jbcs.2026.8227 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory pilot study Longitudinal Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Adults participating in therapist-guided psychotherapy |
| Interventions | mindfulness savoring personal strengths positive reappraisal emotional expression therapist-guided sessions |
| Duration | Three weekly sessions, with three-month follow-up |
| Key points | The authors report that a Positive Psychology-oriented VR intervention was feasible and highly acceptable as an adjunct to supervised psychotherapy, with all 30 participants saying they would recommend it and no serious cybersickness events. Qualitative accounts suggest benefits for self-awareness, reflection, emotional regulation, relaxation, and perspective change, with most follow-up respondents reporting benefits extending beyond sessions, though individual variability was observed. |
Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) has become an increasingly relevant medium for psychological interventions because it can combine immersion, controlled stimuli, and therapist-guided reflection. However, VR systems explicitly grounded in Positive Psychology remain comparatively underexplored, particularly in supervised psychotherapy settings. This paper presents Positive Psychology VR, a Unity-based VR intervention composed of eight virtual environments designed around Positive Psychology constructs, including gratitude, mindfulness, savoring, personal strengths, positive reappraisal, emotional expression, and acts of kindness. We report an exploratory pilot study with 30 adults who participated in three weekly therapist-guided sessions using a Meta Quest 3 head-mounted display, followed by a three-month follow-up. Data were collected through participant characterization, open-ended session reports, psychologist observations, acceptability records, and follow-up feedback. Results indicate high acceptability, with all participants reporting that they would recommend the experience. No serious cybersickness events were reported. Qualitative findings suggest that the intervention supported self-awareness, reflection, emotional regulation, relaxation, and changes in perspective. Nature-inspired, meditation-oriented, and strengths-based environments were among the most frequently used and were often described as memorable anchors for later recall. At follow-up, most respondents reported perceived benefits that extended beyond the sessions, although individual variability was observed. These findings suggest that Positive Psychology-oriented VR can be feasibly integrated into professionally supervised psychotherapy as an adjunctive tool for reflection and emotional well-being. The study contributes design and evaluation insights for immersive therapeutic systems and highlights the need for larger, controlled, and longitudinal studies.