Efficacy of immersive virtual reality reminiscence for older persons living in the community in Singapore: A multi-centre study.

BACKGROUND

With the global population aged 60 and above expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, interventions promoting mental health in older adults have become increasingly important.

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the effects of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) reminiscence with traditional photograph-based reminiscence on subjective happiness, loneliness, and quality of life among older adults, while additionally examining technology acceptance factors.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 78.57 years) recruited from multi-centre design in Singapore. Participants were randomly allocated to either VR reminiscence (n=30) or traditional photograph-based reminiscence (n=30) groups. Both groups participated in 4 weekly 30-minute sessions featuring culturally-relevant content including Singapore landmarks, and traditional festivals. Outcomes were measured using validated scales for subjective happiness, loneliness, quality of life, and technology acceptance at baseline and post-intervention. Semi-structured interviews provided qualitative insights.

RESULTS

The VR group showed significant improvements in subjective happiness (Cohen's d=0.45, p=0.034) and technology acceptance, with large effect sizes for attitudinal beliefs (d=0.67, p=0.002) and control beliefs (d=0.53, p=0.009). A positive correlation between subjective happiness and loneliness was observed (ρ=0.559, p<0.001), more pronounced in the VR group (ρ=0.623) than controls (ρ=0.445). Qualitative findings revealed that culturally-relevant content was most emotionally engaging, with facilitator support is crucial for technology acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that VR reminiscence may show promise in enhancing subjective happiness and technology acceptance among the sampled older adults.