ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Systematic review: The impact of virtual reality interventions on stress and anxiety in intensive care units
Authors' conclusion
VR is feasible, well-accepted, and a safe non-pharmacological alternative to reduce stress and anxiety in ICU patients.
Study context
- Population
- Adult (≥18 years) ICU patients
- Participants
- 286 participants · 7 studies
- Comparison
- Virtual reality (VR) interventions for stress and anxiety in ICU patients
- Outcome
- Stress and anxiety (VAS-A score)
Methodological detailsrandom-effects meta-analysis
- Random-effects meta-analysis
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
VAS-A score (pooled, random-effects meta-analysis)
Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A) score decreased
9.22 points
95 %CI: −14.84 to −3.61
Further pooled results
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| Acceptability of VR | VR Goggles comfortable 89.3 % (95 %CI: 80.5-94.3 %) · Enjoyed content 77.2 % (95 %CI: 59.6-88.5 %) · Felt immersed 71.4 % (95 %CI: 43.4-89.1 %) |
Acceptability of VR
- Acceptability was high
Safety
- Adverse effects were minimal
Original publication
Systematic review: The impact of virtual reality interventions on stress and anxiety in intensive care units. J Crit Care. Published 14 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →