Effectiveness of a virtual reality-based restorative environment on psychiatric disorders for intensive care patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Patients suffering from psychiatric disorders can manifest as symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after intensive care unit (ICU) stay has received considerable attention worldwide. The combination of restorative environments and virtual reality (VR) might be a very effective tool to briefly escape the ICU for early intervention. Based on the Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) and Attention Recovery Theory (ART), this study protocol aims to evaluate the effect of “virtual reality-based restorative environment” provided by nurses. Methods This is an assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial. A total of 72 critically ill awake ICU patients will be enrolled and participants will be randomized per patient in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control group. Patients in the control group will be treated as usual. Participants allocated to the intervention group will receive a 360-degree immersive VR restorative environment played in a head-mounted display with noise-cancelling headphones. The primary outcome measures will include the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Secondary outcomes are Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and Patient Satisfaction Level. Data will be collected at 5-time points: baseline (T0), ICU discharge (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) after ICU discharge. Discussion Psychiatric disorders are common in the ICU setting, but validated prevention and treatment strategies are lacking. The results of this study will provide insight into whether a restorative virtual reality environment is a modality that can be used in the ICU to improve psychological well-being and quality of life and to evaluate patient satisfaction. Trial registration This study was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on March 1,2023; registration number: ChiCTR2300068874.