Efficacy of Creative Interventions in Virtual Reality

Engaging in creative activities is known to increase well-being by reducing levels of stress, anxiety, and improve life satisfaction. Interventions utilizing creative activities have proven to enhance therapeutic results in various mental disorders. Similarly, virtual reality has emerged as an effective method of decreasing negative aspects of mental disorders. While both creative interventions and virtual reality show promise in enhancing well-being, the efficacy of combining the two has not been explored. This study aimed to combine and compare 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional art-making on stress, anxiety, and mood in a non-clinical college student sample. To accomplish this, both physiological and self-report measures often used to measure levels of stress, anxiety, and mood were recorded before and after three interventions. A classic art-making intervention in 2-dimensions, a novel art-making intervention in 3-dimensional virtual reality, and a non-artistic control intervention in virtual reality were used to examine the beneficial outcomes of each method. It was hypothesized that the 3-dimensional art-making group would yield the greatest benefits compared to the other groups. Results show that all groups demonstrated a similar ability to reduce anxiety and enhance mood. Discussion on a common quality of these groups provides insight into these unexpected results and implicates a more fundamental level of examination when studying the benefits of creative intervention.