Participants in this arm will have the VR-based MBI app developed by the research team and use wearing the JAPAN JTSK 6th generation upgraded version of 3D virtual reality glasses.

During briefing session, participants will engage in a 5-10 minute exercise within the VR environment, giving participants the opportunity to explore different natural sceneries provided in the app. This exercise aims to acclimate participants to the VR technology and allow them to select environments for their mindfulness practice at home.

Participants will be provided with the VR glasses to take home and practice mindfulness for approximately 10-15 minutes daily over the next eight weeks. The app will record their practice time for further analysis.

Participants in the audio-based group attend a briefing session where they will receive information on mindfulness practice.

Participants will listen to the same 10-15 minute audio-based MBI instruction as provided in the VR-based MBI app everyday for the next eight weeks. The instructions in the audio will be the same as the instructions in the VR-based mindfulness app.

The only difference between the VR-based MBI and audio-based MBI groups will be the absence of VR technology in the audio-based group.

The third group will be the waitlist control group, who will not attend any briefing session or engage in mindfulness-based interventions during the pilot period. Instead, they will have the opportunity to participate in activities provided by community service centres. The researcher will provide the VR-based MBI to the waitlist control group after they have completed the control period.

Parallel randomized controlled trial

The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) is a widely used self-report questionnaire designed to assess the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. The scale contains 21 items, with seven items allocated to each of the three subscales: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. Respondents are asked to rate the extent to which they have experienced each symptom over the past week using a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 ("Did not apply to me at all") to 3 ("Applied to me very much, or most of the time"). Higher scores indicate greater levels of emotional distress in the respective domains. The DASS-21 is a shortened version of the original 42-item scale and has demonstrated good reliability and validity across diverse populations. It is commonly used in both clinical and research settings to screen for and monitor changes in symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and stress.

The Personal Well-being (ONS4) scale, originally developed by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), is a brief self-report measure used to assess subjective well-being across four core domains: life satisfaction, sense of worthwhileness, happiness, and anxiety. Each item is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with higher scores reflecting greater well-being (except for anxiety, where higher scores indicate greater anxiety). The Chinese version of the ONS4 has been adapted and validated to ensure cultural relevance and linguistic accuracy for use among Chinese-speaking populations. This version maintains the original structure and scoring, allowing for reliable assessment of personal well-being in Chinese contexts. It is widely used in surveys and research to monitor overall well-being and mental health.

The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) is a widely used self-report instrument designed to assess the level of burden experienced by caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities. The short version of the ZBI consists of 12 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 ("Never") to 4 ("Nearly Always"), with higher scores indicating greater caregiver burden.

The Cantonese version of the ZBI Short Version has been translated and culturally adapted to ensure its suitability for Cantonese-speaking populations. Validation studies have demonstrated that the Cantonese ZBI Short Version retains strong psychometric properties, including reliability and validity, comparable to the original version. This scale is commonly used in both clinical and research settings in Hong Kong and other Cantonese-speaking regions to evaluate caregiver stress and the impact of caregiving responsibilities.