Slide
Centre Interdisciplinaire
de Recherche et d’Innovation
en Cybersécurité et Société
de Recherche et d’Innovation
en Cybersécurité et Société
1.
Alessandra, G.; Beatrice, D. M.; Sara, C.; Roberta, M.; Martina, V.; Patrycja, K.; Maurizio, B.; Luca, B.; Adelaide, D. V. Laura; Stéphane, B.
In: British Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 31, no. 1, 2026, ISSN: 1359107X (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: adult, controlled study, female, Heart Rate, human, Humans, hypertension, Immersive virtual reality, mental stress, Middle Aged, Narration, pathophysiology, physiology, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, Psychological, psychology, Pulmonary, pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, randomized controlled trial, rehabilitation, relaxation, Relaxation Therapy, relaxation training, Stress, Therapy, verbal communication, virtual reality
@article{alessandra_preselected_2026,
title = {Preselected and preferred immersive virtual reality versus narrative alone to induce post-stress relaxation in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: A pilot study on perceived stress and heart rate},
author = {G. Alessandra and D. M. Beatrice and C. Sara and M. Roberta and V. Martina and K. Patrycja and B. Maurizio and B. Luca and D. V. Laura Adelaide and B. Stéphane},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105029595132&doi=10.1111%2Fbjhp.70059&partnerID=40&md5=b86f0151066a7923d8854913cbd54318},
doi = {10.1111/bjhp.70059},
issn = {1359107X (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {British Journal of Health Psychology},
volume = {31},
number = {1},
abstract = {Objectives: Several studies have shown the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (IVR)-based relaxation techniques in alleviating stress within the general population. However, few data are available on patients, or on the effectiveness of different scenarios in inducing relaxation. This pilot study aims to compare the effectiveness of three relaxation techniques—preselected IVR (IVR-PS), preferred IVR (i.e. chosen by the participant from different alternatives—IVR-PR), and narrative alone (CTR)—in reducing physiological and psychological stress in 16 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) female patients (N = 16, average age: 46 ± 10.66 years; average education: 13.31 ± 3.8 years; mean duration of illness: 8.56 ± 5.24 years) following an acute stress. Methods: Patients performed a mental stress test followed by three different relaxation sessions presented in a randomized order on three separate occasions. Self-perceived stress, level of relaxation, and heart rate (HR) were monitored during the sessions. Participants' ratings of their experiences were also collected. Results: The results indicated that the three relaxation methods were equally effective in reducing perceived stress induced by acute stress and in lowering HR. However, greater cognitive activation was reported in the two IVR conditions compared with the narrative condition. Conclusions: This is the first study to show evidence of the impact of IVR on a rare population. Despite the lack of significant differences between the two IVR and narrative-alone conditions in physiological and subjective relaxation, more than half of the participants expressed a subjective preference for the virtual experience, especially for the preferred one. © 2026 The Author(s). British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.},
keywords = {adult, controlled study, female, Heart Rate, human, Humans, hypertension, Immersive virtual reality, mental stress, Middle Aged, Narration, pathophysiology, physiology, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, Psychological, psychology, Pulmonary, pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, randomized controlled trial, rehabilitation, relaxation, Relaxation Therapy, relaxation training, Stress, Therapy, verbal communication, virtual reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Objectives: Several studies have shown the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (IVR)-based relaxation techniques in alleviating stress within the general population. However, few data are available on patients, or on the effectiveness of different scenarios in inducing relaxation. This pilot study aims to compare the effectiveness of three relaxation techniques—preselected IVR (IVR-PS), preferred IVR (i.e. chosen by the participant from different alternatives—IVR-PR), and narrative alone (CTR)—in reducing physiological and psychological stress in 16 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) female patients (N = 16, average age: 46 ± 10.66 years; average education: 13.31 ± 3.8 years; mean duration of illness: 8.56 ± 5.24 years) following an acute stress. Methods: Patients performed a mental stress test followed by three different relaxation sessions presented in a randomized order on three separate occasions. Self-perceived stress, level of relaxation, and heart rate (HR) were monitored during the sessions. Participants' ratings of their experiences were also collected. Results: The results indicated that the three relaxation methods were equally effective in reducing perceived stress induced by acute stress and in lowering HR. However, greater cognitive activation was reported in the two IVR conditions compared with the narrative condition. Conclusions: This is the first study to show evidence of the impact of IVR on a rare population. Despite the lack of significant differences between the two IVR and narrative-alone conditions in physiological and subjective relaxation, more than half of the participants expressed a subjective preference for the virtual experience, especially for the preferred one. © 2026 The Author(s). British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.
2.
Stetz, M. C.; Kaloi-Chen, J. Y.; Turner, D. D.; Bouchard, S.; Riva, G.; Wiederhold, B. K.
The effectiveness of Technology-Enhanced relaxation techniques for military medical warriors Journal Article
In: Military Medicine, vol. 176, no. 9, pp. 1065–1070, 2011, ISSN: 00264075, (Publisher: Association of Military Surgeons of the US).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: adult, Anxiety, article, clinical trial, computer interface, controlled clinical trial, controlled study, female, human, Humans, male, mental stress, methodology, Military Personnel, Psychological, psychological aspect, questionnaire, Questionnaires, randomized controlled trial, Relaxation Therapy, relaxation training, soldier, Stress, User-Computer Interface, Video recording, videorecording
@article{stetz_effectiveness_2011,
title = {The effectiveness of Technology-Enhanced relaxation techniques for military medical warriors},
author = {M. C. Stetz and J. Y. Kaloi-Chen and D. D. Turner and S. Bouchard and G. Riva and B. K. Wiederhold},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80052455147&doi=10.7205%2fMILMED-D-10-00393&partnerID=40&md5=dce993c0b65bb351edd74816a0d65450},
doi = {10.7205/MILMED-D-10-00393},
issn = {00264075},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-01-01},
journal = {Military Medicine},
volume = {176},
number = {9},
pages = {1065–1070},
publisher = {Association of Military Surgeons of the US},
abstract = {Combat zones can be very stressful for those in the area. Even in the battlefi eld, military medical personnel are expected to save others, while also staying alive. In this study, half of a sample of deployed military medical warriors (total n = 60) participated in technology-assisted relaxation training. Learning relaxation skills with a video clip of virtual reality relaxing scenes showed a statistically signifi cant impact on the anxiety levels of the Experimental Group. © Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. All rights reserved.},
note = {Publisher: Association of Military Surgeons of the US},
keywords = {adult, Anxiety, article, clinical trial, computer interface, controlled clinical trial, controlled study, female, human, Humans, male, mental stress, methodology, Military Personnel, Psychological, psychological aspect, questionnaire, Questionnaires, randomized controlled trial, Relaxation Therapy, relaxation training, soldier, Stress, User-Computer Interface, Video recording, videorecording},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Combat zones can be very stressful for those in the area. Even in the battlefi eld, military medical personnel are expected to save others, while also staying alive. In this study, half of a sample of deployed military medical warriors (total n = 60) participated in technology-assisted relaxation training. Learning relaxation skills with a video clip of virtual reality relaxing scenes showed a statistically signifi cant impact on the anxiety levels of the Experimental Group. © Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. All rights reserved.
3.
Dugas, M. J.; Francis, K.; Bouchard, S.
In: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 29–41, 2009, ISSN: 16512316 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: adult, Anxiety Disorders, article, clinical article, clinical trial, cognitive therapy, controlled clinical trial, controlled study, disease association, female, generalized anxiety disorder, human, Humans, male, mental stress, Middle Aged, Personality Assessment, Personality Inventory, psychoanalysis, Psychometrics, randomized controlled trial, Relaxation Therapy, relaxation training, Single-case designs, somatoform disorder, Somatoform Disorders, Symptom change profiles, symptomatology, time series analysis, Treatment mechanisms, treatment outcome, treatment response
@article{dugas_cognitive_2009,
title = {Cognitive behavioural therapy and applied relaxation for generalized anxiety disorder: A time series analysis of change in worry and somatic anxiety},
author = {M. J. Dugas and K. Francis and S. Bouchard},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-61549090786&doi=10.1080%2f16506070802473221&partnerID=40&md5=78e775f09aa9806132cd1335ffef92b6},
doi = {10.1080/16506070802473221},
issn = {16512316 (ISSN)},
year = {2009},
date = {2009-01-01},
journal = {Cognitive Behaviour Therapy},
volume = {38},
number = {1},
pages = {29–41},
abstract = {The present study examined symptom change profiles in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) receiving either cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or applied relaxation (AR). It was hypothesized that (a) changes in worry would uniquely predict changes in somatic anxiety for most participants receiving CBT and (b) changes in somatic anxiety would uniquely predict changes in worry for most participants in the AR condition. Twenty participants (CBT n = 10; AR n = 10) completed daily ratings of worry and somatic anxiety during therapy, and multivariate time series analysis was used to assess the causal impact of each variable on the other. The hypotheses were not supported because we found no evidence of a match between individual symptom change profiles and treatment condition. Rather, a bidirectional relationship between worry and somatic anxiety was observed in 80% of participants receiving CBT and 70% of participants receiving AR. When only treatment responders were considered, 83% of participants receiving CBT and 86% of those receiving AR had such a bidirectional effect. The findings are discussed in terms of models of psychopathology that posit dynamic interactions between symptom clusters and in terms of the value of examining treatment mechanisms at the individual level.},
keywords = {adult, Anxiety Disorders, article, clinical article, clinical trial, cognitive therapy, controlled clinical trial, controlled study, disease association, female, generalized anxiety disorder, human, Humans, male, mental stress, Middle Aged, Personality Assessment, Personality Inventory, psychoanalysis, Psychometrics, randomized controlled trial, Relaxation Therapy, relaxation training, Single-case designs, somatoform disorder, Somatoform Disorders, Symptom change profiles, symptomatology, time series analysis, Treatment mechanisms, treatment outcome, treatment response},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The present study examined symptom change profiles in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) receiving either cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or applied relaxation (AR). It was hypothesized that (a) changes in worry would uniquely predict changes in somatic anxiety for most participants receiving CBT and (b) changes in somatic anxiety would uniquely predict changes in worry for most participants in the AR condition. Twenty participants (CBT n = 10; AR n = 10) completed daily ratings of worry and somatic anxiety during therapy, and multivariate time series analysis was used to assess the causal impact of each variable on the other. The hypotheses were not supported because we found no evidence of a match between individual symptom change profiles and treatment condition. Rather, a bidirectional relationship between worry and somatic anxiety was observed in 80% of participants receiving CBT and 70% of participants receiving AR. When only treatment responders were considered, 83% of participants receiving CBT and 86% of those receiving AR had such a bidirectional effect. The findings are discussed in terms of models of psychopathology that posit dynamic interactions between symptom clusters and in terms of the value of examining treatment mechanisms at the individual level.