Paper interpretation | Psychological effects of virtual reality intervention on breast cancer patients with different personalities: A randomized controlled trial

Breast cancer, as the most common malignant tumor among women worldwide, not only poses a serious threat to patients' physical health, but also the psychological problems accompanying its treatment process have received increasing attention. Patients often face negative emotions such as anxiety and depression due to the diagnosis of the disease, side effects of treatment, and changes in physical appearance, and patients with different personality traits often show significant differences in coping with these psychological stresses. In this context, virtual reality (VR) technology, with its immersive experience, shows potential value in the field of psychological intervention.

 In this regard, Jie Chen et al. from Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, of Sun Yat-sen University published a paper entitled "Psychological effects of virtual reality intervention on breast cancer patients with different personalities: A randomized controlled trial" in the International Journal of Nursing Sciences. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to systematically investigate the efficiency and safety of VR intervention with natural landscape content in alleviating negative emotions, aiming to provide new ideas and empirical evidence for psychological care of breast cancer patients.

The study was conducted at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from April to October 2023, enrolling breast cancer patients who were randomly assigned using a block randomization method to either an intervention group (n=118) or a control group (n=119). Patients in the intervention group received 3–5 VR sessions over 5±2 weeks, each lasting 15±3 minutes, featuring nature videos accompanied by music and relaxation guidance, in addition to standard care. The control group received standard care, primarily consisting of disease education and psychological counseling. Patients were assessed using the D-type Personality Scale, Positive and Negative Emotion Scale, and Psychological Distress Thermometer, with adverse reactions during intervention documented. Results showed 85 patients completed the study (44 in the intervention group, 41 in the control group). Prior to intervention, patients with Type D personality exhibited significantly higher negative emotions and distress levels compared to non-Type D patients, while reporting lower positive emotions. Post-intervention, no significant differences were observed between groups in the overall population analysis. However, subgroup analysis revealed that negative emotions were significantly more alleviated in Type D patients within the intervention group than in the control group. No significant differences were found between non-Type D patient groups. Additionally, no significant differences in adverse event rates were observed between the two groups.

Research indicates that breast cancer patients with Type D personalities experience more severe negative emotions and distress, warranting greater attention. VR interventions can safely and effectively alleviate these negative emotions by diverting their focus from the disease through immersive experiences incorporating natural elements.