Parenting
can be stressful, parenting a sick child in a hospital even more so. Although it is well known that improving
caregiver stress is important for improving patient outcomes, inpatient
interventions focused on patients’ families are rarely implemented. However, recently
researchers from Stanford University have developed a virtual reality (VR)
headset to help parents participate in short, guided mediations that help them
relax and develop heathy coping skills.
In a study published this year, researchers found that VR-guided
mediation reduced parental anxiety by about 30%. Interestingly, the researchers
found that tool was particularly helpful for Spanish-speaking families, who
could complete the mediation in their primary language. There are limited
behavioral health resources for Spanish-speaking populations and the larger
effect in this population might indicate a larger unmet need. Thus, VR-guided
mediation might serve as an effective and culturally sensitive therapeutic option
for the parents of hospitalized children.