From burden to balance: Assessing VR for wellbeing of family caregivers and care recipients

Abstract

Both caregivers and care recipients (CRs) navigate significant emotional strain in informal caregiving relationships, but technology has rarely been designed to support them jointly. We conducted a mixed-methods study to evaluate whether virtual reality (VR) could enhance emotional well-being for both members of this dyad. Emotional states (valence, arousal, energy, calmness, tiredness, and tension) were assessed in 26 participants (13 pairs of family caregiver and CR) before and after each interaction with a bespoken VR system (virtual forest, virtual dog). Standard tests Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List and Self-Assessment Manikin indicated emotional relief for participants after interactions in the VR environment. Analysis from the interviews revealed themes of joy and social isolation, outlining perceived benefits and needs for both groups. Results highlight the potential of combining virtual nature and interactive virtual animals as a feasible, low-barrier intervention to improve emotional resilience in caregiving contexts.