Validity for Stress Reduction of Virtual Reality Based Mental Health Care Service System

Investigators will assess whether subjective stress ratings and saliva cortisol elevations to the SECPT can be decreased by VR intervention more rapidly compared to control condition. After screening, pre-evaluation is conducted on healthy individuals who agreed to participate in the study. Experimental sessions run in the afternoon (between 14:00 and 17:00) in the virtual reality laboratory to control for diurnal cycle of cortisol. After arrival at the laboratory, participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (VR intervention or control). At this point, psychological distress was recorded and baseline saliva sample was collected. After the first assessment, participants immersed their hand in ice water during 3 minutes and were watched by an unfamiliar person and videotaped during hand immersion. Immediately after participants took the SECPT, they rated on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) how stressful the previous situation had been and the second saliva sample was collected (the 2nd measurement). Thereafter, participants of VR intervention group go through VR intervention in a virtual seaside environment with congruent sounds, whereas those of control group are allowed to read materials of stress. Participants will be asked to collect their saliva and fill a VAS immeiately after the recovery period (the 3rd measurement) and 30 minutes after cessation of the stress manipulation (the 4th measurement). THe VR intervention is expected to cause more rapid recovery of stress responses than a control intervention.