JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Healthcare professionals globally face escalating levels of burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of accomplishment, exacerbated notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. This condition not only impacts the well-being of healthcare workers but also affects patient care and contributes to significant economic burdens. Traditional approaches to mitigating burnout have included various psychosocial interventions, with mindfulness being recognized for its effectiveness in enhancing mental health and stress management. The advent of Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers a novel, immersive platform for delivering mindfulness and emotional management training.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the immediate impact of an 8-week Virtual Reality (VR) educational program on burnout and work engagement among healthcare professionals.

Methods:

In this non-randomized, pre-post intervention study, 90 healthcare professionals were enrolled, with 83 completing the program, reflecting a 95.2% participation rate. The intervention consisted of eight weekly VR sessions of 10-13 minutes each, using Meta Quest 2 headsets. The sessions focused on mindfulness and emotional management. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) were used for assessment.

Results:

Analysis using paired t-tests (for normally distributed variables) and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (for non-normally distributed variables) showed statistically significant improvements post-intervention. Specifically, the MBI showed reductions in Emotional Exhaustion (t=5.58, p<.001, Cohen's d=0.61) and Depersonalization (t=4.67, p<.001, Cohen's d=0.51), and an increase in Personal Accomplishment (t=-3.62, p<.001, Cohen's d=0.4). The UWES revealed enhancements in Vigor (t=-3.77, p<.001, Cohen's d=0.41), Dedication (Z=-3.63, p<.001, Cohen's r=0.41), and Absorption (Z=-3.52, p<.001, Cohen's r=0.4).

Conclusions:

The study provides initial evidence supporting the effectiveness of VR-based educational programs in reducing burnout and enhancing work engagement among healthcare professionals. While limitations such as the absence of a control group are acknowledged, the significant improvements in burnout and engagement indices, coupled with high participant adherence and minimal VR discomfort, underline the potential of VR interventions in healthcare settings. These encouraging findings pave the way for more comprehensive studies, including randomized controlled trials, to further validate and expand upon these results.