The Effect of Virtual Reality Intervention and the Benson Relaxation Technique on Anxiety and Happiness

The Effect of Virtual Reality Intervention and the Benson Relaxation Technique on Anxiety and Happiness in the Period After Bariatric Surgery: A Randomised Controlled Trial

This study was conducted as a randomised controlled trial to determine the effect of virtual reality headset (VR) and the Benson Relaxation Technique (BRT) on anxiety and happiness levels in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: ANXIETY; VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET; BENSON RELAXATION TECHNIQUE
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Experimental: VR group; Behavioral: Experimental: Benson Relaxation Techniques group

Detailed Description

The study was conducted at the General Surgery Department of Fırat University Hospital between December 2024 and May 2026. The study population comprised all patients who underwent bariatric surgery at this centre, with a sample size of 180 patients (virtual reality headset group: n=60; Benson Relaxation Technique group: n=60; control group: n=60). The Patient Information Form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Oxford Happiness Scale-Short Form were used to collect the data. No intervention was applied to the control group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 180
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Elâzığ, Turkey (Türkiye), 23119
    • Firat Universty

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria: - Patients who had undergone bariatric surgery- were 18 years of age or older- had no communication difficulties- had no psychiatric disorders- had not experienced any complications during or after surgery- did not use any other non-pharmacological approaches during.

Exclusion Criteria: - Patients under 18 years of age - those using non-pharmacological methods during .

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: VR group; The Patient Information Form, STAI Form TX-I, and OHQ-SF were administered as pretests. Following the pretests, patients were shown a video of a nature scene using VR accompanied by nature sounds for an average of 20 minutes. A quiet environment was prepared before the virtual reality headset session to ensure patients could relax and remain focused. The researcher ensured hand hygiene and equipment disinfection throughout the session. The headset was adjusted to fit each patient's head circumference. Image clarity, lens settings, and sound levels were adjusted according to individual preferences. The intervention was administered twice daily-morning and evening-for three days during the postoperative period, totaling six sessions. Immediately following the final session, the STAI Form Tx-I and OHQ-SF were administered as posttests.	Behavioral: Experimental: VR group; Experimental: VR group Arm Description: The Patient Information Form, STAI Form TX-I, and OHQ-SF were administered as pretests. Following the pretests, patients were shown a video of a nature scene using VR accompanied by nature sounds for an average of 20 minutes. A quiet environment was prepared before the virtual reality headset session to ensure patients could relax and remain focused. The researcher ensured hand hygiene and equipment disinfection throughout the session. The headset was adjusted to fit each patient's head circumference. Image clarity, lens settings, and sound levels were adjusted according to individual preferences. The intervention was administered twice daily-morning and evening-for three days during the postoperative period, totaling six sessions. Immediately following the final session, the STAI Form Tx-I and OHQ-SF were administered as posttests.
Experimental: Benson Relaxation Techniques group; The patient information form, STAI Form TX-I, and OHQ-SF pretest were administered. Patients were ensured to be in a comfortable position during the Benson Relaxation Technique session. The environment was prepared to be quiet, dimly lit, and free of distractions. Before beginning the relaxation exercise, patients were instructed to focus entirely on their breathing. The researcher provided the commands for the relaxation exercise in a tone of voice audible to the patients. Instructions: Choose a short sentence or a word that is meaningful to you and helps you focus your attention; close your eyes; relax all your muscles, starting with your feet and slowly moving upward through your muscle groups; breathe gently and naturally; as you exhale, silently repeat your focus word or sentence to yourself; tell yourself, "Everything is fine" and "I feel light, healthy, and energetic"; and calmly focus on your breath and your muscles. Focus on relaxing and letting go until the instructions are	Behavioral: Experimental: Benson Relaxation Techniques group; Experimental: Benson Relaxation Techniques group Arm Description: The patient information form, STAI Form TX-I, and OHQ-SF pretest were administered. Patients were ensured to be in a comfortable position during the Benson Relaxation Technique session. The environment was prepared to be quiet, dimly lit, and free of distractions. Before beginning the relaxation exercise, patients were instructed to focus entirely on their breathing. The researcher provided the commands for the relaxation exercise in a tone of voice audible to the patients. Instructions: Choose a short sentence or a word that is meaningful to you and helps you focus your attention; close your eyes; relax all your muscles, starting with your feet and slowly moving upward through your muscle groups; breathe gently and naturally; as you exhale, silently repeat your focus word or sentence to yourself; tell yourself, "Everything is fine" and "I feel light, healthy, and energetic"; and calmly focus on your breath and your musc
No Intervention: Control group; For patients in the control group, the data collection instruments were administered as a pretest. No intervention was performed on this patient group. Three days after the pretest, the STAI Form Tx-I and OHQ-SF were also administered to patients in the control group as a posttest.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form Tx - I)	This scale was developed by Spielberger et al. Its reliability and validity in Turkey were established by Öner and Le Compte . The scale's Cronbach's Alpha value is 0.83. The scale includes both direct and reverse-scored items. During scoring, the total weights for the direct and reverse-scored items are calculated separately; then, the total score for the direct items is subtracted from the total score for the reverse-scored items. The total score on the scale ranges from 20 to 80; a high score indicates a high level of anxiety, while a low score indicates a low level of anxiety.	two weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-Short Form (OHQ-SF)	A unidimensional questionnaire developed by Hills and Argyle to assess levels of happiness . The questionnaire was translated into Turkish by Doğan and Çötok. Scores on the questionnaire range from 7 to 35. A higher score indicates a higher level of happiness. The Cronbach's alpha value for the questionnaire was found to be 0.74 .	two weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Firat University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: DİLEK GÜNEŞ, associate professor, Firat University; Study Chair: Acar, Firat University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 10, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 10, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 20, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 23, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Anxiety; bariatric surgery; virtual reality; happiness; Benson relaxation technique
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: DGunes

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No