Aug 2026· PLoS ONE· Vol 21· 0 citations· 49 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Refinements to navigation, cue salience, and mitigation of negative VR effects are warranted before future efficacy testing, but preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the VET-SAVR prototype for suicide risk identification and lethal means counseling training are supported.
Abstract
Background Suicide risk is disproportionately higher for rural veterans who often lack access to specialty-trained health professionals equipped to deliver effective prevention interventions. Virtual reality offers a scalable training solution to address these gaps. This mixed-methods feasibility study systematically developed and evaluated a prototype virtual reality simulation for a training module in suicide risk identification and lethal means safety counseling during rural veteran home visits. Methods Thirty participants (10 nursing/social work students, 10 health professionals, and 10 rural community members) completed the veteran suicide prevention simulation using Meta Quest 2 headsets. Sense of presence (including negative effects) was assessed with the ITC-Sense of Presence Inventory; additional outcomes included representativeness, acceptability, and cue recall. Results Participants reported high engagement, with moderate spatial presence, and ecological validity, and low negative effects (e.g., nausea). Prominent lethal means cues were highly recalled (firearms: 93.3%; alcohol: 83.3%), while subtler cues (e.g., isolation) were less frequently noted. Most endorsed representational accuracy, with qualitative feedback praising authenticity and suggesting improvements in interactivity and navigation. Conclusions Findings support the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the VET-SAVR prototype for suicide risk identification and lethal means counseling training. Refinements to navigation, cue salience, and mitigation of negative VR effects are warranted before future efficacy testing.
A single-arm feasibility pilot study found that VR-based cognitive rehabilitation delivered through an experienced occupational therapy-led hybrid model is feasible and potentially effective for post-stroke cognitive impairment in Singapore.
Shan Wei, Tan Amanda Pei Xuan, Teoh Ai Lin et al.· British Journal of Occupatio...· 0 citations
Background Virtual reality (VR) interventions show promise for improving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes, but successful implementation depends on compatibility with real-world clinical settings. No review has yet characterized the implementation readiness of recently described SUD-focused VR platforms. Methods We conducted a rapid review of peer-reviewed research published between 2020 and 2025 to characterize the implementation readiness of recently described SUD-focused VR platforms, focusing on their technical characteristics, therapeutic goals, and implementation requirements. Following a systematic search, 14 studies were included. Each intervention was coded for platform features such as hardware requirements, interactivity, and clinician involvement using a framework informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Results Patient acceptability and tolerability were consistently high across studies. However, several platform characteristics posed potential implementation barriers. Four studies (29%) required PC-tethered hardware or specialized physical spaces that could hinder adoption. A minority (n = 5, 36%) were explicitly grounded in established evidence-based approaches. Ten (71%) were designed primarily as self-guided supplemental interventions largely independent of routine treatment sessions. Conclusions Most recently described VR interventions for SUD have implementation barriers that could limit adoption in community treatment settings. We recommend that developers design for portable, standalone hardware, keep session length and training burden realistic for community settings, ground therapeutic content in familiar evidence-based practices, and favor interactive over passive designs. Addressing these factors proactively will help ensure VR experiences for SUD treatment align with the practical realities of the settings in which they will be used.
Chanda Phelan, Tyler B. Wray· Research Square· 0 citations
This study evaluates escape room gamification as a participatory methodology for validating assistive technologies with older adults in cross-border rural areas through the VIVEMAIS INTERREG project. Deployed via the "Diversiverso" mobile living lab across eight Spain-Portugal municipalities (April–July 2025), the intervention engaged 331 participants (mean age 78.4 years) testing 18 assistive devices through challenge-based interactions. A mixed-methods approach combined quantitative surveys (n = 331; TAM attitudes, technology recall) with caregiver interviews (n = 11). Complementary triangulation identified three dimensions: technological appropriation, pedagogical function, and validation potential. Escape rooms fostered initial engagement but modest adoption intent (34% willing to take devices home), moderated by cognitive impairment and rural connectivity barriers. The study introduces "pedagogical realism", a dual effect where gamified interaction simultaneously generates enthusiasm and critical awareness of practical limitations. This distinguishes escape rooms from purely motivational approaches, positioning them as diagnostic tools bridging design, evaluation, and implementation phases. Discussion demonstrates that Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) limitations are addressed by Senior TAM (STAM), while supervised exergame meta-analyses confirm mediation effects in cognitive impairment. Caregivers emerge as essential intermediaries, particularly in rural contexts. Conclusions recommend integrating escape rooms within comprehensive strategies incorporating sustained mediation and transfer activities. The approach reveals a critical gap between experiential engagement and sustained adoption, informing user-centred innovation ecosystems for aging-in-place technologies.
Claudia Möller Recondo, E. García-Alonso, Susana Núñez González et al.· Digital Technologies Researc...· 0 citations
Highlights What are the main findings? A virtual reality-assisted exercise program provided preliminary descriptive information on potential favorable changes in cardiovascular health and functional capacity among institutionalized older adults. Participants demonstrated 100% adherence to the intervention, completing all prescribed sessions (10/10), and reported high satisfaction, with no adverse events during the intervention. What are the implications of the main findings? Virtual reality appears to be a feasible strategy to enhance engagement and adherence in exercise programs for older adults in institutional settings. These preliminary findings support further exploration of immersive technologies in rehabilitation and health promotion programs for older adults. Abstract Background: Physical inactivity and functional decline are common among institutionalized older adults, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and loss of independence. Innovative strategies such as virtual reality-assisted exercise may enhance adherence and improve health outcomes in this population. Methods: A pilot intervention study with a pre-post design was conducted in five institutionalized older adults who participated in a virtual reality-assisted multicomponent exercise program. The intervention included sessions combining strength, aerobics, balance, and flexibility exercises. Anthropometric, cardiovascular, and functional variables were assessed before and after the intervention. Physiological responses were assessed at the beginning of the sessions, midway through the intervention, and at the end of the program, along with participant satisfaction. Results: Preliminary descriptive changes were identified following the intervention, including lower values for body mass, body fat percentage, and systolic blood pressure, together with higher scores in several functional capacity measures, such as lower and upper body strength, aerobic endurance, and mobility. Physiological responses during exercise remained within expected ranges across sessions. All participants reported high satisfaction with the intervention, and no adverse events were documented. Conclusions: A multicomponent exercise program integrating virtual reality appears to be a feasible and well-tolerated intervention for institutionalized older adults. The preliminary descriptive findings suggest potential favorable changes in cardiovascular health and functional capacity; however, because no control group was included, the specific contribution of the virtual reality component cannot be determined.
Rosa Areiza, Fermina Vasquez Osorio, Leily Montoya-Álvarez et al.· Healthcare· 0 citations
Virtual reality (VR) is a promising tool for vocational training for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), offering immersive workplace simulations. However, little is known about how key stakeholders, adults with IDD, job coaches, and employers, experience and evaluate VR-based training programs. This study explored cross-stakeholder perspectives on a custom VR library job simulation designed to teach employment skills to adults with IDD. The VR application replicated a real-world library environment in which participants shelved books guided by directional cues, audio prompts, and positive reinforcement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adults with IDD, 5 job coaches, and 6 employers. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach involving open coding, axial coding, and cross-stakeholder comparative synthesis. Five themes emerged: (1) environmental realism as a foundational affordance, (2) usability constraints and the absence of error recovery, (3) affective engagement independent of task success, (4) limited transfer without explicit instructional scaffolding, and (5) accessibility and safety as implementation prerequisites. The study’s novel contribution lies in its cross-stakeholder synthesis, which reveals how convergent and divergent perspectives across user groups illuminate the conditions necessary for VR to function as an effective vocational training tool. The findings show that while VR holds genuine promise for workforce preparation, its potential can only be realized through systematic refinement grounded in the perspectives of those who use, facilitate, and benefit from it.
Ayse Torres, Meredith Mountford, Kelly B. Kearney et al.· Journal of Special Education...· 0 citations
Background. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is efficacious for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Virtual reality could augment CBT by immersing patients in relevant situations, scenarios, or exercises. We sought expert consensus on the most promising applications of VR and how, when, and where it might best be used. Methods. We conducted a Delphi study with 10 experts in CBT for AUD. Round 1’s open-ended questions across 10 topics generated 89 items. In later rounds, panelists rated each item’s benefit/importance from 1 to 5. Consensus required at least 70% agreement. Items not achieving consensus were re-assessed in three subsequent survey rounds. Results. The panel reached consensus on 84 of 89 (94%) items after three rounds. Panelists endorsed VR for practicing high-risk situations, drink refusal and assertiveness skills, and trigger identification, with therapists coaching in real time. They agreed on recommendations for introducing and debriefing and agreed VR was suitable for all levels of care. Top implementation barriers were therapist reluctance, low technology confidence, training time, cost, technical support, and reimbursement. Conclusions. Findings offer a blueprint for using VR in CBT for AUD, including applications, delivery, timing, and setting, and a path to evaluating whether it improves outcomes beyond CBT alone.
T. Wray, Molly Magill, Amy C. Traylor et al.· Research Square· 0 citations
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