ArticleCureus2025
Acute Effects of a Five-Minute Virtual Reality Nature Microbreak on Autonomic Function and Mood in Healthcare Workers.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- ICU nurses' experiences with virtual reality technology for work-related stress reduction: A qualitative study.International journal of nursing sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the acute effects of a five-minute virtual reality (VR) nature microbreak on autonomic function and mood in healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods Seventeen HCWs from an orthopedic outpatient clinic (mean ± SD age, 30.9 ± 7.9 years) completed a single-group crossover pilot study. Participants performed (i) a VR-guided paced breathing session displaying 360° natural scenery (VR condition) and (ii) an eyes-closed (EC) paced breathing session using an eye mask (EC condition) on separate days, at least 24 hours apart, during the same time slot (15:00-16:00). Breathing tempo was fixed at six breaths · min⁻¹ (four-second inhalation and six-second exhalation) using an auditory metronome. Five-minute photoplethysmographic heart rate variability (lnRMSSD, lnHF, lnTP, and lnLF/HF) and the short form of the Two-Dimensional Mood Scale (TDMS ST: Vitality, Stability, Pleasure, and Arousal) were recorded pre- and post-intervention. Post-pre differences were compared between conditions using paired t-tests. Effect sizes are expressed as Hedges' g or Wilcoxon's r. Results VR produced small, nonsignificant increases in autonomic indices (HF 0.17 ± 0.67 vs -0.05 ± 0.71 log ms²; t(16) = 1.35, p = 0.20, g = 0.31). Significant improvements were observed in the following TDMS subscales: Vitality (0.88 ± 3.22 vs -1.88 ± 3.98; p = 0.015, g = 0.63), Stability (4.53 ± 3.59 vs 2.12 ± 1.83; p = 0.025, g = 0.57), and Pleasure (5.41 ± 5.11 vs 0.24 ± 3.65; p = 0.005, g = 0.75). Arousal showed no significant difference (Z = -0.20, p = 0.84, r = 0.05). Conclusions A brief VR nature microbreak with paced breathing elicited medium-to-large improvements in subjective vitality, stability, and pleasure compared to conventional EC breathing, while producing only small, nonsignificant enhancements in parasympathetic HRV. VR microbreaks represent a feasible, low-cost, low-time intervention to boost immediate well-being in HCWs; however, larger and longer-term trials are warranted to confirm their physiological benefits and sustainability.
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