Depression and anxiety can significantly reduce the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Several studies have assessed the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-based interventions for symptoms of anxiety and depression; however, they do not relate to patients with heart disease. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of VR therapy on the mental state of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Thirty-four CAD patients with elevated anxiety or depression symptoms were recruited. After randomization, 17 participants were assigned to the intervention group, and 17 to the control group. Both groups underwent standard CR for outpatients. In the intervention group, eight VR therapy sessions were applied. In the control group, eight sessions of Schultz’ Autogenic Training were applied. To assess patient mental states, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Perception of Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) were used, before and after 4 weeks of CR. In the intervention group, a significant decrease in HADS score was observed (19.46 pretreatment vs. 15.73 post-treatment, p = 0.003), HADS-Anxiety subscale decreased by 16.0 percent (p = 0.01) and HADS-Depression by 23.0 percent (p = 0.003). Similarly, a significant decrease in PSQ was recorded at 12.8 percent (64.73 vs. 56.47, p = 0.03). In the control group, HADS and PSQ data did not change. VR therapy significantly reduced the severity of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress levels in CAD patients undergoing CR. Immersive VR therapy effectively supports the CR of individuals with anxiety-depressive symptoms.

中文翻译：

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身临其境的虚拟现实疗法作为心脏康复的支持：一项试点随机对照试验

抑郁和焦虑会显着降低心脏康复 (CR) 的效果。多项研究评估了基于虚拟现实 (VR) 的干预措施对焦虑和抑郁症状的有效性；然而，它们与心脏病患者无关。本研究的目的是评估 VR 疗法对冠状动脉疾病 (CAD) 患者精神状态的影响。招募了 34 名焦虑或抑郁症状升高的 CAD 患者。随机化后，17 名参与者被分配到干预组，17 名参与者被分配到对照组。两组都接受了门诊患者的标准 CR。在干预组中，应用了八次 VR 治疗。在对照组中，应用了八次舒尔茨的自体训练。为了评估患者的精神状态，在 CR 前后 4 周使用医院焦虑和抑郁量表 (HADS) 和压力感知问卷 (PSQ)。在干预组中，观察到 HADS 评分显着下降（治疗前为 19.46，治疗后为 15.73，p  = 0.003)，HADS-焦虑分量表下降了 16.0% ( p  = 0.01)，HADS-抑郁量表下降了 23.0% ( p  = 0.003)。同样，PSQ 显着下降 12.8%（64.73 对 56.47，p  = 0.03）。在对照组中，HADS 和 PSQ 数据没有变化。VR 疗法显着降低了接受 CR 的 CAD 患者的抑郁症状、焦虑和压力水平的严重程度。沉浸式 VR 疗法有效地支持有焦虑抑郁症状的个体的 CR。