JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Psychoeducation (PE), as a conventional intervention, positively influence the psychological components of pain chronification, e.g. chronic low back pain (CLBP). The digitalization of healthcare leads to the discussion of virtual reality (VR) interventions, which can have superior, but due to their full immersion, short-term effects. Augmented reality (AR) supplements the real world with virtual elements involving one's own body sensory perception, while mixed reality (MR) can combine conventional, AR, and VR approaches.

Objective:

The aim was to review the state of research on the treatment of CLBP through psychoeducation using mixed reality and to formulate suggestions for PE intervention design in MR.

Methods:

A scoping review was conducted in June 2023 according to PRISMA guidelines in the Pubmed, Pubpsych and LIVIVO ZB MED databases. Qualitative content analysis included patient studies of conventional, VR- and AR-based treatments and combinations of these therapies.

Results:

Eleven of 4,293 publications were included. No empirical study on MR-based PE in CLBP treatment was found. One study included VR psychoeducation for CLBP. One study addressed VR in chronic pain, two CLBP with VR, two the psychological aspects of CLBP treatment and five the combination of CR treatment and VR. Three main categories of MR psychoeducational design were identified: (1) intervention design, (2) psychological factors of the intervention, and (3) outcome measures of psychoeducational interventions for CLBP. The extracted data were discussed with the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (2012) to derive PE for MR interventions in CLBP patients, e.g. exercise instructions of a digital agent with biofeedback, relaxation training, gamification.

Conclusions:

There is a lack of evidence for MR studies and empirical studies are needed. The results found for PE in CLBP provide important information for hypothesis generation to transfer and test conventional and VR interventions in an experimental MR design.