Virtual reality meditation eases caregiver anxiety during pediatric hospital stays, with stronger benefits for Spanish speakers

A new study published in the Journal of Patient Experience provides preliminary evidence that virtual reality–guided meditation can reduce anxiety among caregivers of pediatric inpatients. The intervention, delivered through a short immersive experience tailored to the caregiver’s preferred language, led to greater reductions in self-reported anxiety compared to standard methods such as using a phone or talking to someone. The effect was especially strong for Spanish-speaking participants.

The researchers conducted the study to address a common but often overlooked problem: the anxiety experienced by caregivers while their children are hospitalized. Parents and guardians frequently endure emotional stress while managing their child’s illness and navigating the hospital environment. This anxiety can impact not only their own health but also their children’s well-being, as caregiver distress has been linked to increased pain and anxiety in pediatric patients.

Although various therapies—like music, play, and counseling—have been developed to alleviate stress, these are not consistently implemented in inpatient settings. Moreover, language and cultural barriers often leave Spanish-speaking caregivers with even fewer options for support. The research team sought to test whether a language-concordant, virtual reality meditation could serve as an accessible and effective solution for this gap in care.

“We can only begin to imagine the stress parents feel when their child is hospitalized. While medical care rightly focuses on the patient, the emotional toll on families is often overlooked,” said study author Thomas Caruso, a professor at Stanford Medicine and co-director of the Stanford Chariot Program. “We know that when parents and caregivers feel less anxiety, they’re better able to support their children. That’s why it felt essential to develop a targeted intervention—using thoughtful, technology-driven care to support the entire family during a difficult time.”

The study was carried out at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, a large academic pediatric hospital in California. From June 2023 to February 2024, caregivers of hospitalized children were recruited to participate in a randomized trial comparing two conditions: standard care or a virtual reality meditation. Standard care consisted of whatever relaxation activities caregivers normally practiced while visiting the hospital, such as using a smartphone, reading, or talking with others.

In the virtual reality group, participants wore an Oculus Go headset that played a six-minute guided meditation video called “Aurora,” which included breathing cues and peaceful natural scenery like waterfalls and the northern lights. The meditation was presented in either English or Spanish depending on the caregiver’s language preference.

The researchers used a few tools to measure anxiety. The primary tool was the Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety, a self-report scale that asks participants to rate their anxiety from 0 (no anxiety) to 100 (maximum anxiety). A second tool, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, included two parts: one that measured general tendencies toward anxiety (trait anxiety), and another that measured how anxious someone felt in the moment (state anxiety). Participants completed both assessments before and after the intervention. The study also included satisfaction surveys to measure how much participants liked the experience and whether they would want to use it again.

A total of 200 caregivers completed the study and were included in the analysis. The sample was evenly split between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking participants. Most were between the ages of 31 and 50, and the majority identified as Hispanic or Latino. The standard care group (99 people) engaged in typical self-soothing activities like using their phone or talking with others. The virtual reality group (101 people) received the six-minute immersive meditation experience.

After the intervention, the virtual reality group showed lower anxiety levels compared to the standard care group. The average anxiety rating dropped from about 53 to 31 in the VR group, while the standard care group dropped from around 52 to 44. The difference between the groups was statistically significant. Participants in the VR group also reported a greater drop in their state anxiety scores, even after accounting for their general tendency toward anxiety. This suggests that the virtual reality meditation was not only calming in the moment but also effective regardless of a person’s usual anxiety level.

When the researchers broke down the data by language, they found that both English- and Spanish-speaking participants benefited from the VR intervention, but Spanish speakers experienced a larger reduction in anxiety. Spanish-speaking caregivers who used the VR meditation had an average post-intervention anxiety score of 21, compared to 41 for those in the standard care group. English-speaking participants also benefited, but the difference between the VR and standard care groups was not as large.

“The study found that parents who primarily spoke Spanish experienced a greater reduction in anxiety after the VR meditation session compared to English-speaking participants,” Caruso told PsyPost. “There are so few mental health resources available for Spanish-speaking communities. We believe the stronger effect reflects a deeper, unmet need.”

Participants generally responded positively to the VR experience. More than 80 percent of caregivers in the VR group reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the intervention. Only a few people reported minor side effects, such as dizziness or eye strain, which resolved quickly. The high satisfaction rate and minimal side effects support the feasibility of using VR meditation as a regular service in pediatric hospitals.

“Immersive technologies like virtual reality open the door to new, drug-free ways to reduce anxiety,” Caruso said. “As VR becomes more affordable and widely available, our study suggests it could be a valuable tool for hospitals looking to support caregivers and deliver more family-centered care. ”

But the study had some limitations. It was conducted at a single hospital, which may limit how well the findings apply to other settings. However, the diverse sample and large size strengthen the reliability of the results. Another limitation is that the study only looked at the short-term effects of a single VR session. Future studies should explore whether repeated sessions have long-lasting effects.

Despite these limitations, the findings suggest that virtual reality–guided meditation is a promising tool for improving caregiver well-being in hospital settings. Because VR is portable, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use, it could be integrated into routine care without placing additional strain on staff. Offering the experience in both English and Spanish helped make the intervention more inclusive and addressed a gap in mental health support for non-English-speaking families.

“We know it can be challenging for a busy children’s hospital to offer treatment for every parent’s mental health needs,” Caruso said. “We have found that VR is a reasonable alternative — one that can be widely available, quickly scaled and highly effective for parents who speak any language.”

The research team emphasized that supporting caregivers is an important part of delivering family-centered care. Caregivers play a key role in their children’s recovery, and their emotional state can influence how children experience illness, pain, and treatment. Making tools like VR meditation available helps ensure that caregivers’ emotional needs are not overlooked. Going forward, the researchers plan to continue developing and studying virtual reality programs for both patients and caregivers.

“We will continue studying the benefits of VR-guided meditation for patients’ parents and guardians,” Caruso told PsyPost. “This research is part of our greater efforts at the Stanford Chariot Program to develop a range of initiatives aimed at reducing pain and anxiety in pediatric patients before both major and minor procedures using virtual and augmented reality, as well as other immersive technologies. We focus on family-centered care by integrating mental health and emotional well-being into the patient’s experience.”

“The study was in part inspired by the wide range of tools our team has designed to help children feel more at ease during their hospital stay. Our clinical team offers VR headsets to pediatric patients to help ease their pain and anxiety during medical procedures, inspire them to continue their school studies, and enhance their rehabilitation. Time and again, while we were working with a child, a parent or caregiver would say they wished for a quick escape too. After the success of this study, we have made VR meditation sessions part of the regular services offered by the Stanford Chariot Program.”

The study, “Culturally Sensitive Treatment of Caregiver Anxiety With Virtual Reality: A Prospective, Pragmatic, Randomized Study,” was authored by Ricardo T. Jimenez, Michelle Zuniga-Hernandez, Man Yee Suen, Ruth Feng, Kassandra Pinedo, Faaizah Arshad, Faith Collins, Avani Ganesan, Christian Jackson, Ellen Y. Wang, Samuel T. Rodriguez, and Thomas J. Caruso.