The Effects of a Nature-Based Mindfulness-Compassion Intervention for Older Adults Delivered Using Virtual Reality

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).