Virtual reality based neuro-rehabilitation for mental stress reduction

Abstract

Mental stress is a serious problem experienced by college students which often leads to a decline in academic performance, limited social life, alcoholism and drug abuse. Conventional treatments for coping with mental stress hinge on the affected individual's interaction with a psychiatrist/social support group or indulging in relaxing activities. Virtual Reality therapy (VRT) is an upcoming technique for mental stress treatment, which confines the interaction of the user with a Virtual Environment (VE). In this study, we segregate the participants into two test groups-Control and Stressed. Each participant is induced with stress by means of the Color STROOP task. Then the participant is subjected to a VR-based stress therapy that includes an Island environment, a forest environment and calming instrumental music. Effectiveness of the therapy is assessed using the participant's task performances before and after VRT along with the Positive And Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) [1] questionnaire.