2025
Guillen-Sanz, Henar; del Camino Escolar-Llamazares, María; Quevedo-Bayona, Itziar; Martínez-Martín, María Ángeles; Bustillo, Andrés
Can Immersive Virtual Reality Environments Improve Stress Reduction? Experimental Design with Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training Journal Article
In: IEEE Access, 2025, ISSN: 2169-3536 .
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Anxiety disorders, Jacobian matrices, Legged locomotion, mental health, Muscles, Training, Virtual environments
@article{guillen2025,
title = {Can Immersive Virtual Reality Environments Improve Stress Reduction? Experimental Design with Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training},
author = {Henar Guillen-Sanz and María del Camino Escolar-Llamazares and Itziar Quevedo-Bayona and María Ángeles Martínez-Martín and Andrés Bustillo},
editor = {IEEE},
url = {https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11034975},
doi = {10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3579493},
issn = {2169-3536 },
year = {2025},
date = {2025-06-13},
urldate = {2025-06-13},
journal = {IEEE Access},
abstract = {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.},
keywords = {Anxiety disorders, Jacobian matrices, Legged locomotion, mental health, Muscles, Training, Virtual environments},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
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.
2021
Martínez, Kim; Menéndez, María Isabel Menéndez; Bustillo, Andrés
A systematic review of serious games for children and adolescents: awareness, prevention, detection and therapy for depression and anxiety Journal Article
In: JMIR Serious Games, vol. 9, no. 4 (2021), 2021, ISSN: 2291-9279.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: adolescents, anxiety, awareness, children, depression, detection, mental health, prevention, serious games, therapy, Virtual Reality
@article{Martínez2021,
title = {A systematic review of serious games for children and adolescents: awareness, prevention, detection and therapy for depression and anxiety},
author = {Kim Martínez and María Isabel Menéndez Menéndez and Andrés Bustillo},
url = {https://games.jmir.org/2021/4/e30482},
doi = {10.2196/30482},
issn = {2291-9279},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-12-16},
journal = {JMIR Serious Games},
volume = {9},
number = {4 (2021)},
abstract = {Background:
Depression and anxiety in children and adolescents are major health problems worldwide. In recent years, serious games research has advanced in the development of tools to address these mental health conditions. However, there has not been an extensive analysis of these games, their tendencies, and capacities.
Objective:
This review aims to gather the most current serious games, published from 2015 to 2020, with a new approach focusing on their applications: awareness, prevention, detection, and therapy. The purpose is also to analyze the implementation, development, and evaluation of these tools to obtain trends, strengths, and weaknesses for future research lines.
Methods:
The identification of the serious games through a literature search was conducted on the databases PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, Springer, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The identified records were screened to include only the manuscripts meeting these criteria: a serious game for PC, smartphone, or virtual reality; developed by research teams; targeting only depression or anxiety or both; aiming specifically at children or adolescents.
Results:
A total of 34 studies have been found that developed serious games for PC, smartphone, and virtual reality devices and tested them in children and adolescents. Most of the games address both conditions and are applied in prevention and therapy. Nevertheless, there is a trend that anxiety is targeted more in childhood and depression targeted more in adolescence. Regarding design, the game genres arcade minigames, adventure worlds, and social simulations are used, in this order. For implementation, these serious games usually require sessions of 1 hour and are most often played using a PC. Moreover, the common evaluation tools are normalized questionnaires that measure acquisition of skills or reduction of symptoms. Most studies collect and compare these data before and after the participants play.
Conclusions:
The results show that more awareness and detection games are needed, as well as games that mix the awareness, prevention, detection, and therapy applications. In addition, games for depression and anxiety should equally target all age ranges. For future research, the development and evaluation of serious games should be standardized, so the implementation of serious games as tools would advance. The games should always offer support while playing, in addition to collecting data on participant behavior during the game to better analyze their learning. Furthermore, there is an open line regarding the use of virtual reality for these games due to the capabilities offered by this technology.},
keywords = {adolescents, anxiety, awareness, children, depression, detection, mental health, prevention, serious games, therapy, Virtual Reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Background:
Depression and anxiety in children and adolescents are major health problems worldwide. In recent years, serious games research has advanced in the development of tools to address these mental health conditions. However, there has not been an extensive analysis of these games, their tendencies, and capacities.
Objective:
This review aims to gather the most current serious games, published from 2015 to 2020, with a new approach focusing on their applications: awareness, prevention, detection, and therapy. The purpose is also to analyze the implementation, development, and evaluation of these tools to obtain trends, strengths, and weaknesses for future research lines.
Methods:
The identification of the serious games through a literature search was conducted on the databases PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, Springer, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The identified records were screened to include only the manuscripts meeting these criteria: a serious game for PC, smartphone, or virtual reality; developed by research teams; targeting only depression or anxiety or both; aiming specifically at children or adolescents.
Results:
A total of 34 studies have been found that developed serious games for PC, smartphone, and virtual reality devices and tested them in children and adolescents. Most of the games address both conditions and are applied in prevention and therapy. Nevertheless, there is a trend that anxiety is targeted more in childhood and depression targeted more in adolescence. Regarding design, the game genres arcade minigames, adventure worlds, and social simulations are used, in this order. For implementation, these serious games usually require sessions of 1 hour and are most often played using a PC. Moreover, the common evaluation tools are normalized questionnaires that measure acquisition of skills or reduction of symptoms. Most studies collect and compare these data before and after the participants play.
Conclusions:
The results show that more awareness and detection games are needed, as well as games that mix the awareness, prevention, detection, and therapy applications. In addition, games for depression and anxiety should equally target all age ranges. For future research, the development and evaluation of serious games should be standardized, so the implementation of serious games as tools would advance. The games should always offer support while playing, in addition to collecting data on participant behavior during the game to better analyze their learning. Furthermore, there is an open line regarding the use of virtual reality for these games due to the capabilities offered by this technology.
Depression and anxiety in children and adolescents are major health problems worldwide. In recent years, serious games research has advanced in the development of tools to address these mental health conditions. However, there has not been an extensive analysis of these games, their tendencies, and capacities.
Objective:
This review aims to gather the most current serious games, published from 2015 to 2020, with a new approach focusing on their applications: awareness, prevention, detection, and therapy. The purpose is also to analyze the implementation, development, and evaluation of these tools to obtain trends, strengths, and weaknesses for future research lines.
Methods:
The identification of the serious games through a literature search was conducted on the databases PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, Springer, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The identified records were screened to include only the manuscripts meeting these criteria: a serious game for PC, smartphone, or virtual reality; developed by research teams; targeting only depression or anxiety or both; aiming specifically at children or adolescents.
Results:
A total of 34 studies have been found that developed serious games for PC, smartphone, and virtual reality devices and tested them in children and adolescents. Most of the games address both conditions and are applied in prevention and therapy. Nevertheless, there is a trend that anxiety is targeted more in childhood and depression targeted more in adolescence. Regarding design, the game genres arcade minigames, adventure worlds, and social simulations are used, in this order. For implementation, these serious games usually require sessions of 1 hour and are most often played using a PC. Moreover, the common evaluation tools are normalized questionnaires that measure acquisition of skills or reduction of symptoms. Most studies collect and compare these data before and after the participants play.
Conclusions:
The results show that more awareness and detection games are needed, as well as games that mix the awareness, prevention, detection, and therapy applications. In addition, games for depression and anxiety should equally target all age ranges. For future research, the development and evaluation of serious games should be standardized, so the implementation of serious games as tools would advance. The games should always offer support while playing, in addition to collecting data on participant behavior during the game to better analyze their learning. Furthermore, there is an open line regarding the use of virtual reality for these games due to the capabilities offered by this technology.