The Benefits of Virtual Reality Travel on Symptom Burden and Mental Health of Hemodialysis Patients

Background: . Hemodialysis (HD) patients often face a heavy symptom burden, low subjective well-being, and high perceived stress. Traditional non-pharmacological interventions have limited effectiveness in improving this situation. Virtual reality (VR) technology, as an emerging approach, has shown significant advantages in alleviating symptom burden and enhancing mental health.

Objective: . To assess the feasibility of a single VR travel session for HD patients and to examine its impact on symptom burden, subjective well-being, and perceived stress.

Methods: . This study adopted an embedded design, providing approximately 10 minutes of natural VR travel experience using VR head-mounted displays (HMD). The effectiveness of a single VR travel session for HD patients was evaluated. Quantitative data were collected through self-reported surveys using the Dialysis Frequency Severity and Symptom Burden Index (DFSSBI) to assess symptom burden, the General Well-Being Schedule (GWBS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to evaluate well-being and stress. Post-intervention, a modified single-item questionnaire assessed patient satisfaction with the VR travel experience. An open-ended question was included to capture patients' experiential feedback.

Results: . Twenty HD patients, with a mean age of 41.3 (9.82) years, completed the VR travel and subsequent assessments. The cohort comprised 35% female and 65% male participants. The VR travel significantly improved symptom burden (t = 3.642, P = 0.002), increased subjective well-being (t = -6.119, P < 0.001), and reduced perceived stress (t = 4.155, P = 0.001). The post-intervention satisfaction score was 7.35 (1.35) out of 10, and participants provided positive feedback on their VR travel experience.

Conclusion: . A single VR travel session can alleviate symptom burden, enhance subjective well-being, and reduce perceived stress in HD patients. Participants reported high satisfaction and positive emotional responses, suggesting that this experience could be integrated into care routines as a non-pharmacological intervention to improve symptom burden and mental health in HD patients.