Virtual Reality-based Exercises on Postural Stability, Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety in Patients with Lower Extremity Burn

A burn can be a life-threatening and traumatic event associated with severe pain and long-term health problems. Psychological difficulties are often reported after a burn, and symptoms of depression are one of the most common \[1,2\]. Physiological and state anxiety increased as a result of increased postural threat whereas ratings of perceived stability and balance efficacy were reduced as a function of increased postural threat. Efforts to diagnose balance disorders based on balance performance may be confounded by the influence of psychological factors. In a systematic review of the prevalence of depression after a burn, 4%-10% met the criteria for major depression within a year after the burn, and the rate of clinically relevant depressive symptoms measured by self-reporting was 4%-26% \[3\]. In addition, depressive symptoms after a burn have been associated with deterioration in long-term physical functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) \[\[4\], \[5\], \[6\]\]. For patients with burns, studies have reported symptoms of anxiety in hospital \[7,8\], but Williams and Griffiths \[9\] reported that one third of a sample of 23 survivors of burns were still having appreciable psychological difficulties one year after the burn. Anxiety was the most common, followed by post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression Many treatments are available to treat anxiety and depression disorders, including medication, exercise, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy. In many cases, these treatments can be tailored to a client to help reduce symptomology of anxiety and/or depression. To date, the application of emerging technology in health promotion has generated substantial public interest. Among the emerging technologies that may potentially aid in the treatment of anxiety and depression, virtual reality (VR) is arguably the most exciting and technologically-advanced. VR is a digital technology that artificially creates sensory experiences-including visual, auditory, touch, and scent stimuli-while allowing the user to manipulate objects within the virtual environment created \[3\].