Deborah AE, Okpete UE, Byeon H. Evaluating the impact of virtual reality on reducing restrictive practices in psychiatric wards. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(2): 101287 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.101287]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Haewon Byeon, DSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Director, Department of Digital Anti-aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, 197 Injero, Gimhae 50834, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Akpoveta Eguono Deborah, Department of Medical Centre, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo 1111, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Uchenna Esther Okpete, Haewon Byeon, Department of Digital Anti-aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, Gimhae 50834, South Korea
Co-first authors: Akpoveta Eguono Deborah and Uchenna Esther Okpete.
Author contributions: Akpoveta ED and Okpete UE involved in data interpretation and developed methodology; Byeon H designed the study; Akpoveta ED, Okpete UE and Byeon H contributed to this paper, assisted with writing the article; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Supported by Basic Science Research Program Through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Funded by the Ministry of Education, No. NRF-RS-2023-00237287 and No. NRF-2021S1A5A8062526; and Local Government-University Cooperation-Based Regional Innovation Projects, No. 2021RIS-003.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Haewon Byeon, DSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Director, Department of Digital Anti-aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, 197 Injero, Gimhae 50834, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Received: September 10, 2024 Revised: December 9, 2024 Accepted: December 23, 2024 Published online: February 19, 2025 Processing time: 126 Days and 7.1 Hours
Abstract
This manuscript critically evaluates the randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted by Phiri et al, which assessed the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) training for psychiatric staff in reducing restrictive practices (RPs). Specifically, this RCT investigated the impact of VR on the handling of aggressive patients by psychiatric staff compared to traditional training methods. Despite significant reductions in perceived discrimination in the VR group, there were no major improvements in self-efficacy or anxiety levels. The system usability scale rated the VR platform highly, but it did not consistently outperform traditional training methods. Indeed, the study shows the potential for VR to reduce RPs, although fluctuations in RP rates suggest that external factors, such as staff turnover, influenced the outcomes. This manuscript evaluates the study’s methodology, results, and broader implications for mental health training. Additionally, it highlights the need for more comprehensive research to establish VR as a standard tool for psychiatric staff education, focusing on patient care outcomes and real-world applicability. Finally, this study explores future research directions, technological improvements, and the potential impact of policies that could enhance the integration of VR in clinical training.
Core Tip: This manuscript highlights the potential of virtual reality (VR) as an innovative training tool for reducing restrictive practices (RPs) in psychiatric wards. Although VR training showed promise in lowering perceived discrimination and enhancing staff engagement, it had limited effects on self-efficacy and anxiety levels. The high usability of VR suggests its suitability for immersive learning, though challenges such as fluctuating RPs rates and cost may limit its widespread adoption. Further research is needed to refine VR simulations and explore long-term outcomes, positioning VR as a valuable tool in mental health care training.
