Simulated consultation room based on acceptance and commitment therapy combined with virtual reality in brain MRI examinations for claustrophobia patients

Background To investigate the effects of a simulated consultation room based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) combined with virtual reality (VR) on claustrophobia patients undergoing brain MRI examinations across multiple centers. Methods A total of 131 claustrophobia patients undergoing brain MRI examinations at four Tertiary Grade-A general hospitals from June 2023 to June 2025 were enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into experimental group (66 cases) and control group (65 cases). The experimental group received the intervention of a simulated consultation room based on ACT combined with VR, while the control group received routine intervention. The success rate of brain MRI examination, image diagnostic rate and satisfaction score were compared between the two groups before and after intervention. Results The rises in anxiety and claustrophobia scores for the experimental group (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, HAMA: 3.6; Claustrophobia Questionnaire, CLQ: 2.3) were significantly lower than those for the control group (HAMA: 8.2; CLQ: 10.3), with statistically significant differences ( P < 0.001). The success rate of brain MRI examination, image diagnostic rate and examination satisfaction in the experimental group (96.97%, 84.38%, 71.21%) were higher than those in the control group (70.77%, 52.17%, 12.31%), and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusion The acceptance commitment model combined with virtual reality simulation clinic is applied to brain MRI examination of patients with claustrophobia, which can improve the success rate of brain MRI examination, image diagnostic rate and satisfaction of patients with claustrophobia.