Virtual reality-based reminiscence therapy for older adults to improve psychological well-being and cognition: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality-reminiscence therapy (VR-RT) has increasingly been applied to older adults to improve psychological well-being and cognition. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to identify (1) the design characteristics of conducting a VR-RT and (2) the effects of VR-RT on the user experience, cognitive outcomes and psychological well-being. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Eligible studies were sourced across nine electronic databases, trial registries, grey literature and hand-searching of the reference list. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Twenty-two studies were included, and most were appraised as high quality. Most of the VR-RTs were highly immersive and personalised, with participants having the autonomy of control. VR-RT has the potential to improve anxiety and depression, and cognitive outcomes for older adults. Overall, VR-RT was reported to be an enjoyable experience for older adults. CONCLUSIONS: VR-RT is a promising innovation that can improve older adults' psychological well-being and cognition without significant side effects, including cybersickness and with the potential for scalability across various settings. More randomised controlled studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-RT and its features and treatment dosage. These studies could also examine the effectiveness of VR-RT as an intervention to promote independence in activities of daily living and physical rehabilitation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: VR-RT is a promising intervention for older adults in community settings to enhance psychological well-being and cognition. VR's versatility enables personalised experiences within dynamic virtual environments, possibly enhancing engagement and therapeutic outcomes. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This systematic review did not directly involve patient or public contribution to the manuscript.

Journey towards resiliency: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of cancer patients' experiences.

PURPOSE: This systematic review and meta-synthesis seeks to explore cancer patients' journey towards resiliency. The secondary aim of this review is to identify unique resilience protective factors among cancer patients. METHODS: A thorough search was conducted in eight electronic databases and the grey literature for published or unpublished qualitative and mixed methods studies. Studies that explored resilience among cancer patients were included. The studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme Checklist. The overall certainty of evidence was further evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation's Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research. Themes identified were synthesized using Sandelowski and Barroso's meta-synthesis method. RESULTS: A total of 34 studies comprising 987 cancer patients were included in this review. Three themes and nine subthemes were generated from the meta-synthesis. The themes were: (1) Confronting the cancer diagnosis, (2) personal adaptations to cancer, and (3) drawing strength from others. The findings highlighted how individuals overcame cancer adversities through resilience, which is influenced by various factors, including life experiences, social-cultural stigmas, spirituality, social support networks, coping strategies, motivation, acceptance of illness, positive mindset, and engagement with healthcare facilities. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the role of resilience in a cancer patient's journey. It emphasizes on the importance of building resilience in both cancer patients and survivors to effectively overcome the challenges of their cancer diagnosis. These insights are essential for developing interventions that promote resilience and improve existing psychosocial oncology services. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to better understand how resilience evolves and pinpoint factors that can further influence one's resilience.

Evaluating the online Resilience Skills Enhancement programme among undergraduate students: A double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial.

Resilience training has beneficial effects on the ability of undergraduate students to withstand adversity and stress. However, there are inconsistencies in the content and delivery approaches for resilience training. Given the increasing shifts towards computer-assisted instruction, there is a need to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for resilience training. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of two versions of the Resilience Skills Enhancement (RISE) programme. A randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the effects of blended learning (BL) and a self-guided RISE programme on the resilience, social support, and learning outcomes of undergraduate students. One hundred and fourteen students were recruited and randomly allocated to receive either BL or the self-guided RISE programme. The within-group analyses indicated significant improvements in resilience scores for the BL (F = 37.74, p < 0.001) and self-guided groups (F = 10.16, p < 0.001) with moderate (d = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.25, 1.00) to large effect sizes (d = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.50) respectively. There were also significant differences across the three time points for social support scores for the BL (F = 4.50, p < 0.05) and self-guided groups (F = 4.59, p < 0.05). Students in the BL group had considerable improvements in self-efficacy of learning and performance (F = 5.42, p < 0.01) and meta-cognitive self-regulation scores (F = 5.91, p < 0.01). In the between-group analyses, both BL and self-guided RISE were comparable for resilience, social support, and learning scores (p > 0.05). The study provided preliminary evidence that both modes, BL and self-guided RISE programme lead to positive effects on the resilience, social support, and learning scores of students.

Resilience for Undergraduate Students: Development and Evaluation of a Theory-Driven, Evidence-Based and Learner Centered Digital Resilience Skills Enhancement (RISE) Program.

Protective factors that build students' resilience are known. A six-week digital resilience training program was developed on the basis of theory, evidence, and contextual information. The feasibility study sought to evaluate the acceptability, appropriateness, demand, implementation, and limited efficacy of a digital resilience skills enhancement program for undergraduate students. A single group, pre-test, post-test, concurrent mixed methods design among 10 undergraduate students was conducted in one university in Singapore. The content analysis concluded that students accepted and perceived the digital resilience skills enhancement program as appropriate. Students also proposed several improvements, such as the initiation of the program and revisions to the content. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test found significant improvements in resilience (p = 0.02) and meta-cognitive self-regulation (p = 0.01) scores with medium (d = 0.79, 95% CI: -0.15 to 1.74) and very large effect sizes (d = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.30-2.33), respectively. Students found the digital resilience program appropriate and were able to apply their newly acquired skills to promote their resilience and learning. Although, several improvements are proposed to enhance the rigor of the digital resilience program, the findings of this study suggests that digital resilience programs are important for students' well-being.

Spotlight on noncognitive skills: Views from nursing students and educators.

BACKGROUND: Noncognitive skills have a considerable role in influencing nursing students' performance in clinical and educational settings. Understanding how nursing students and educators perceive noncognitive skills is important given the broad classifications of noncognitive competencies. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine nursing students' and educators' perception of noncognitive skills. DESIGN: This study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach. SETTING: This study was conducted virtually via Zoom in one university in Singapore. PARTICIPANTS: Purposive sampling through a maximum variation technique was used to select 35 nursing students and 12 educators. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted through eight virtual face-to-face focus group discussions. Interviews were audio- and videorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. RESULTS: The participants stated that individual and interpersonal skills contribute to one's noncognitive skills. Two themes emerged from the participants' narratives: (1) the ability to manage oneself and (2) social interactions with others. The first theme describes the various individual characteristics such as growth mindset, adaptability, resilience, and emotional regulation. The second theme describes the importance of empathy and meaningful relationships as types of non-cognitive skills. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provide the basis for the development of noncognitive assessment tools by educators. In addition, they pave the foundation for the curation of future programs that promote the noncognitive skills of nursing students. Hospital-based educators may use these findings to curate suitable programs for improving the noncognitive abilities of nurses.