Description

Although relevant stress management interventions exist, their practical implementation remains a challenge. Biofeedback training in immersive virtual reality (VR) is an innovative approach at the intersection of psychology, physiology and technology. Despite promising results in feasibility, pilot and cross-sectional studies, there is still a lack of evidence for the long-term effectiveness of the approach.

The project aims to

• extend a successfully tested VR-based implementation of heart rate variability biofeedback into a multi-session prevention-oriented stress management training for teachers and
• evaluate the effectiveness of this training in a randomized controlled longitudinal study. The development of the training will undergo an iterative process according to the paradigm of design science. The evaluation will be conducted with prospective teachers at three Swiss universities of teacher education.

The training is expected to be a feasible, engaging and effective intervention that strengthens psychophysiological stress resilience, mitigates the effects of chronic stress and ultimately improves teachers’ mental health and well-being. Regardless of whether the hypothesis can be confirmed, the study will provide reliable evidence on the short- and long-term effectiveness of VR-based biofeedback as a stress management intervention, thus closing an important research gap. In a broader sense, the study aims to contribute to an innovative and evidence-based intervention that promotes the mental health and well-being of teachers.

The collaboration of the PH Zurich with the PH St. Gallen and the ZHAW as part of the SNSF project “Virtual Reality Biofeedback” is supported by the PH Zurich research fund.

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