2026-04-20T02:42:16Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/request

oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/105592025-06-26T11:42:32Zcom_10259_4219com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259_4220

Can Immersive Virtual Reality Environments Improve Stress Reduction? Experimental Design with Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training Guillén Sanz, Henar Escolar Llamazares, María del Camino Quevedo Bayona, Itziar Martínez Martín, Mª Ángeles Bustillo Iglesias, Andrés Anxiety disorders Progressive muscle relaxation Psychology Serious game Virtual reality Salud mental Realidad virtual Mental health Virtual reality Psychological relaxation techniques are now fundamental in stress-management and anxiety-disorder prevention training. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) stands out among various other training programmes. However, some limitations restrict its widespread usage, such as the requirements for a therapist to be in attendance and for patients to close their eyes during treatment. In such cases, support through immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) during the training procedure may be a suitable solution. In this study, an iVR application was developed for individuals undergoing PMR training, and an experimental design with both independent and subjective measures was conducted to compare this novel approach with conventional PMR training. The study was validated in two population groups: nursing undergraduates (one training session, n=63) and undergraduates following a test anxiety programme (complete training procedure: 7 sessions, n=13). The results pointed to high satisfaction and relaxation levels across all groups. No significant differences were found between the two methodologies, suggesting that the iVR application could be a useful tool in both educational and clinical contexts. In the long experience group (7 sessions), the iVR students showed higher interest which may have contributed to adherence to the entire training procedure. Furthermore, the iVR tool demonstrated potential suitability users unable to follow conventional procedures, exemplified by a student who, due to her own anxiety-related symptoms, felt very uncomfortable when instructed to close her eyes during the relaxation training. This research was partially supported by the SAVOR Project (reference number PID2023-150694OA-I00) funded by MICIU/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by the REMAR and HUMANAID Projects (reference numbers CPP2022-009724 and TED2021-129485B-C43 respectively) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR by “ERDF/EU”. 2025-06-17T07:09:41Z 2025-06-17T07:09:41Z 2025-06 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion https://hdl.handle.net/10259/10559 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3579493 2169-3536 eng IEEE Access. 2025, V. 13, p. 104312-104329 https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3579493 Atribución 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess application/pdf Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/10559/4/Guill%c3%a9n-ieee_access_2025.pdf.jpg Hispana TEXT http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ RIUBU. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos https://hdl.handle.net/10259/10559