RESUMEN
Due to financial and mobility barriers, a majority of older adults living in collective dwellings are no longer able to engage in tourism, a leisure activity that contributes to quality of life and wellbeing. Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) may serve as a programmatic tool to facilitate tourism. This pilot study examined the effects of VR tourism exposure on indices of psychosocial wellbeing among older adults living in residential care. Using a mixed-methods study design, 18 older adults were exposed to VR tourism three times a week, over six weeks. Participants reported decreased anxiety and fatigue immediately following exposure, and increased social engagement and quality of life following six weeks of VR tourism. Qualitative data offered additional insight on the process by which VR tourism may enhance wellbeing. Findings suggest that immersive VR tourism may be a viable program for older adults in residential care.
Asunto(s)
Instituciones Residenciales , Turismo , Realidad Virtual , Anciano , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Calidad de VidaRESUMEN
Hoarding disorder is characterized by difficulty discarding objects and excessive clutter. The relationship between hoarding and claustrophobia, reactions to severely cluttered spaces, and clutter preferences are all areas that are yet to be investigated. The present study used a novel virtual reality (VR) platform to examine these domains. Two groups (i.e., with hoarding disorder, n = 36; without hoarding disorder, n = 40) similar in age and gender were recruited from the community. There were no differences in subjective or physiological reactivity to increasing VR clutter levels. The hoarding group reported a preference for slightly more cluttered VR rooms; however, they also reported higher claustrophobic fear. Results from this research advance our understanding of the relationship between hoarding symptoms and subjective experiences of clutter and offer implications for future VR research and treatment initiatives.