Virtual Reality as e-Mental Health to Support Starting with Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Koen H. B. Damen, E. D. van der Spek
International Conference on Evolutionary Computation September 18, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-99426-0_24 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-blind experiment Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Prospective users from the target group for MBCT |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The single-blind experiment found no significant positive effects of the Open-MindEd VR application on stimulating people to start MBCT. The authors nonetheless suggest the design exploration offers preliminary considerations for VR as e-mental health support. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is used in mental health therapy but requires effort by the patient. This paper describes a preliminary design exploration of Open-MindEd, a Virtual Reality (VR) application specifically designed to support starting with MBCT. In collaboration with a mental health institute, two prospective users from the target group gave longitudinal input for the design, leading to the formulation of aspects how a VR application could serve as a tool to support people starting with mindfulness. Subsequently, a single-blind experiment (N = 30) was performed to evaluate whether Open-MindEd could stimulate starting with MBCT. No significant positive effects were found. Despite several limitations, this paper shows some potential design considerations of VR as e-mental health to support MBCT.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- A brief virtual reality-based mindfulness intervention can improve olfactory perception while reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in university students Humanities and Social Sciences Communications March 3, 2025
- Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mantra Meditation in a 360 Virtual Reality Environment Petra July 5, 2023
- Mediating Mindfulness-Based Interventions with Virtual Reality in Non-Clinical Populations: The State-of-the-Art. Healthcare June 29, 2022
- Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study Journal of Medical Internet Research September 6, 2019
Cites 2
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011