{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T20:07:17Z","timestamp":1789589237399,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Med Internet Res"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Urban green spaces support psychological well-being, yet access is often limited for city residents. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising indoor alternative, but evidence on sustained mental health effects of longer-term VR nature exposure remains limited.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This exploratory pilot study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a 12-week VR green environment intervention in influencing self-reported psychological outcomes among urban residents.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A nonrandomized control group pretest-posttest design was used with healthy urban adults aged 20 to 50 years. The experimental group received weekly 30-minute VR green environment sessions for 12 weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Self-reported psychological outcomes were assessed using standardized questionnaires and analyzed using generalized estimating equations.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Of the 60 participants recruited, 55 (91.6%) completed the study, with 30 (54.5%) in the experimental group and 25 (45.5%) in the control group. Significant group-by-time effects indicated that the experimental group showed reductions in distress (\u03b2=\u22125.17;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n =.03), depression (\u03b2=\u22122.37;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n =.003), anxiety (\u03b2=\u22123.20;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n =.05), and somatization (\u03b2=\u22126.27;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n =.004) scores, whereas the control group showed symptom deterioration. No serious adverse events were reported.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n This exploratory pilot investigation suggests that repeated VR green environment exposure has the potential to be a feasible health promotion tool for supporting psychological well-being among urban adults. These findings are preliminary and should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical therapeutic effectiveness.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/93494","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T19:52:54Z","timestamp":1789588374000},"page":"e93494-e93494","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bringing the Green Environment From Outdoors to Indoors Through Virtual Reality for Psychological Well-Being: Quasi-Experimental Study"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9836-1415","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dorothy","family":"Bai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6492-7366","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jou-Ting","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-4652-0736","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hao-Yun","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9194-1783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hsin-Yen","family":"Yen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.4103\/0972-6748.64028","article-title":"Urbanization and mental health","volume":"18","author":"Srivastava","journal-title":"Ind Psychiatry J"},{"key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2018.06.004","article-title":"Multiple pathways link urban green- and bluespace to mental health in young adults","volume":"166","author":"Dzhambov","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"488","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2017.10.008","article-title":"The association between natural environments and depressive symptoms in adolescents living in the United States","volume":"62","author":"Bezold","journal-title":"J Adolesc Health"},{"key":"R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2017.06.028","article-title":"Exploring pathways linking greenspace to health: theoretical and methodological guidance","volume":"158","author":"Markevych","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2015.07.003","article-title":"Blue space geographies: enabling health in place","volume":"35","author":"Foley","journal-title":"Health Place"},{"key":"R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2016.03.002","article-title":"Residential exposure to visible blue space (but not green space) associated with lower psychological distress in a capital city","volume":"39","author":"Nutsford","journal-title":"Health Place"},{"key":"R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cacint.2024.100159","article-title":"Determinants influencing the accessibility and use of urban green spaces: a review of empirical evidence","volume":"24","author":"Endalew Terefe","journal-title":"City Environ Interact"},{"key":"R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jort.2018.08.001","article-title":"Assessing soundscape preferences and the impact of specific sounds on outdoor recreation activities using qualitative data analysis and immersive virtual environment technology","volume":"24","author":"Li","journal-title":"J Outdoor Recreat Tour"},{"key":"R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/frvir.2022.892905","article-title":"Nature-based mindfulness-compassion programs using virtual reality for older adults: a narrative literature review","volume":"3","author":"Sadowski","journal-title":"Front Virtual Real"},{"key":"R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10055-024-00958-5","article-title":"Virtual reality natural experiences for mental health: comparing the effects between different immersion levels","volume":"28","author":"Yen","journal-title":"Virtual Real"},{"key":"R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/NDT.S179038","article-title":"A prescription for \u201cnature\u201d - the potential of using virtual nature in therapeutics","volume":"14","author":"White","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat"},{"key":"R12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2019.02667","article-title":"Can simulated nature support mental health? 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