The Relationship Between Blood Pressure and Self-Reported Stress During Sound-Based VR Relaxation Videos

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) relaxation environments are increasingly proposed as accessible tools for stress management, yet the physiological correlates of self-reported stress during VR exposure remain unclear, particularly for blood pressure (BP). We conducted a within-subjects study (N = 18) in which participants viewed relaxing 360-degree videos, grouped into four sound-design categories, such as videos with rhythmic (RHYT), aperiodic (APRD), continuous (CONT), and low-ambient (LOWE) sound through an HTC Vive Focus Vision headset. Systolic (SYS) and diastolic (DIA) BP were recorded after each category using an Omron 3 Series monitor, and self-reported stress was collected via a 0-100 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) with fixed intervals. While overall BP did not differ significantly across sound categories, self-reported stress did (Friedman chi-square(4) = 12.07, p = .017), with rhythmic sound eliciting significantly lower stress than aperiodic and continuous sound. Critically, DIA, but not SYS, correlated significantly with self-reported stress across conditions (r = .31, p = .003). This suggests that DIA may be a more sensitive physiological indicator of subjective stress than SYS in short VR exposures. We discuss implications for designing and evaluating VR mental health interventions and the value of low-cost physiological sensing alongside self-report.