Effect of virtual reality video-based pre-discharge psychological intervention on the post-discharge emotions of patients with deep facial burns: a prospective randomized controlled study

Objective To investigate the effect of virtual reality (VR) video-based pre-discharge psychological intervention on the post-discharge emotions of patients with deep facial burn. Methods From October 2017 to September 2019, 84 patients with deep facial burn who were hospitalized in the First Hospital of Jilin University and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the prospective randomized controlled study were. According to the random number table, the patients were divided into two groups, with 40 cases (21 males and 19 females) left in VR video group, aged 18-53 years and 41 cases (22 males and 19 females) in general video group, aged 19-55 years after several patients dropped out in follow-up. Seven patients who had been treated in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2014 to December 2016 and returned to work and life after recovering from the deep facial burn were selected, and then the pictures and corresponding commentaries before and after burn injuries, the problems and solutions after discharge, and the image data of living status of each patient were edited and recorded into a video. From seven days before discharge, the patients in VR video group began to watch videos by wearing VR glasses, while the patients in general video group began to watch videos on a tablet computer, for 7 days . On the 7th day before discharge (before watching the videos) and one month after discharge, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Social Avoidance and Distress (SAD) Scale were used to evaluate the level of anxiety, depression, and social avoidance and distress of patients in both groups. Data were statistically analyzed with paired or independent sample

test, chi-square test, or Fisher′s exact probability test. Results On the 7th day before discharge, the scores of anxiety, depression, and social avoidance and distress of patients in general video group were (34±7), (34±6), and (11.5±3.9) points, respectively, close to (35±7), (35±5), and (10.5±3.9) points in VR video group (

=-0.803, -1.050, 1.122,

>0.05), and the scores of both groups were higher than the national norms. One month after discharge, the scores of anxiety, depression, and social avoidance and distress of patients in VR video group were (31±5), (31±5), and (7.2±2.5) points, respectively, significantly lower than the scores on the 7th day before discharge (

=6.609, 7.492, 7.622,

<0.01); the scores of anxiety, depression, and social avoidance and distress of patients in general video group were (37±7), (38±8), and (13.9±7.4) points, respectively, significantly higher than the scores on the 7th day before discharge (

=2.802, 3.599, 2.739,

<0.01). One month after discharge, the scores of anxiety, depression, and social avoidance and distress of patients in VR video group were significantly lower than those in general video group (

=4.722, 5.043, 5.490,

<0.01). Conclusions Pre-discharge psychological intervention of patients with deep facial burn using VR videos can alleviate their bad emotions after discharge, such as anxiety, depression, and social avoidance and distress.