Virtual Reality Meditation on Anxiety in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

The Effect of Virtual Reality Meditation on Anxiety Management in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Study

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Does VR meditation, delivered through virtual reality glasses and the MediboothVR application, effectively reduce anxiety in cancer patients during chemotherapy?

Is there a meaningful difference in anxiety reduction between the VR intervention groups and the control group?

Researchers will compare two intervention groups using VR glasses-one with guided meditation and one with calming video content-to a control group receiving standard care, to see if there are differences in anxiety levels.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to one of three groups

Attend their scheduled chemotherapy sessions

Depending on group assignment, either:

Use VR glasses with the MediboothVR meditation app for 10 minutes daily

Use VR glasses to watch calming 360-degree nature videos for 10 minutes daily

Receive standard care with no VR use

All participants will complete anxiety questionnaires and have their vital signs recorded before and after each session.

This clinical trial includes three parallel groups: a VR meditation group, a VR video group, and a control group.

Participants in the VR meditation group will receive a 10-minute virtual reality (VR) guided meditation session on three consecutive days, between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. The sessions will be delivered using virtual reality glasses and the MediboothVR application. A different meditation video will be used each day.

The MediboothVR application is the first immersive virtual reality meditation app developed in Türkiye and is also the first to support the Turkish language. It provides audio-guided meditation in a 360-degree artificial environment through virtual reality glasses. Each meditation video lasts approximately 10 minutes. Sessions begin with a short period for environmental observation, followed by a journey sequence that transports the user to a dedicated meditation area. A silhouette then appears and delivers the guided meditation experience through structured audio.

Participants in the VR video group will also use virtual reality glasses for 10 minutes each day, over three consecutive days, during the same time frame. Instead of meditation, they will watch 360-degree calming nature videos. A different video will be shown each day to support relaxation through immersive visual content.

These videos were selected to promote relaxation and included high-definition panoramic visuals such as forests, oceans, waterfalls, and mountain landscapes. Each day, a different video was used to maintain novelty and reduce visual fatigue. Although no verbal instructions were provided, the rich sensory environment was designed to offer a passive but calming distraction from the clinical setting.

Participants in the control group will receive standard nursing care without any VR-based intervention. After data collection is completed, participants in the control group will be offered the opportunity to experience the VR content, but their responses will not be included in the study analysis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 years or older,
• Sufficient communication ability to respond to study questions,
• Receiving outpatient treatment for at least three consecutive days with a confirmed cancer diagnosis,
• Scoring 40 or above on the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), indicating moderate or higher anxiety levels,
• Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to speak or understand Turkish,
• Being under contact isolation precautions,
• Presence of active eye discharge or visual impairment,
• History of seizures, epilepsy, or hypersensitivity to flashing lights,
• History of vertigo or motion sickness,
• Experiencing active nausea or vomiting,
• Having wounds or dressings on the head or face that interfere with the use of a VR headset,
• Hearing impairment,
• Hypersensitivity of the face or scalp to light pressure,
• Diagnosis of psychiatric conditions that may affect participation (e.g., schizophrenia, severe psychosis),
• Diagnosis of recurrent or relapsed cancer,
• Scoring below 40 on the State Anxiety Inventory,
• Previous use of virtual reality applications,
• Prior experience with meditation practices.