The Effects of a Nature-Based Mindfulness-Compassion Intervention for Older Adults Delivered Using Virtual Reality: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The global population is aging at an unprecedented rate, increasing the necessity for effective interventions targeting the mental health needs of older adults. Virtual reality (VR) is a type of technology with the potential to improve mental health and well-being that allows users, via electronic devices such as headsets or goggles, to interact within simulated environments. VR programs using nature, mindfulness-meditation, and compassion may be more immersive and engaging, with research showing that these programs are effective at improving mental health and well-being outcomes in younger adults. However, evidence in this area for older adults is currently lacking. The present project intends to pilot and examine a multi-user 360-High Definition (HD) video VR application, called "Toujours Dimanche", developed in partnership with Super Sublime, a Montreal-based not-for-profit company. This VR application aims to support older adults through incorporating elements of nature, mindfulness-meditation, and compassion via a 4-week program of twice weekly, 10 to 20-minute meditation sessions, for a total of 8 sessions. Thus, this study seeks to pilot, revise and iteratively evaluate, via randomized control trial (RCT) methodology, the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of a multi-user 360-HD video VR application (Toujours Dimanche) at improving older adult mental health and well-being. It is hypothesized that engagement with the 4-week VR-Meditation intervention will lead to lower scores on stress and negative affect and improved scores on well-being, positive affect, and mindfulness, in addition to increased scores on coping self-efficacy, connection with nature, embodied mindfulness, and self-compassion, over time and as compared to the active control group (who will receive psycho-educational pamphlets 1x/week for 4 weeks).