Virtual environment for VR-based stress therapy system design element: User perspective

Abstract

Given that mental stress issue is becoming a big concern in today’s society, it is important to highlight available alternatives that may help in reducing stress. One of the options available is virtual reality-based therapy (VR-based therapy). Previous studies conducted show that VR-based therapy has promising results in reducing stress and inducing relaxation. However, most of the studies were only focusing on the effectiveness of the system without taking into consideration the elements that should be included while designing its virtual environment. Therefore, this study aims to identify the possible design elements that should be taken into consideration when designing a virtual environment for a VR-based stress therapy system. An existing system review consisted of system demonstration and interview session was conducted with 12 random participants. During the review, the users were required to use an existing VR-based system and provide their feedback and comments during a short interview session that follows. Based on the review, eight design elements were identified, which were then grouped into five themes; visual attraction, environment setting, user comfort, interaction and navigation. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.