TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Wang, Zixuan
AU  -  Chen, Liquan
AU  -  Faridniya, Hossein
T1  -  Harnessing VR extreme sports for mental health assessing stress excitement and anxiety modulation in men with social anxiety disorder
PY  -  2025
Y1  -  2025-07-01
DO  -  10.1728/4632.46421
JO  -  Medicina dello Sport
JA  -  Med Sport
VL  -  78
IS  -  3
SP  -  203
EP  -  213
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  1827-1863
Y2  -  2026/04/03
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1728/4632.46421
N2  -  Summary. Background. Men with social anxiety disorder face significant challenges in many aspects of daily life, and while pharmaceutical treatments are available, they often come with side effects. Additionally, some men are reluctant to undergo psychological treatment openly. This study aims to investigate the effects of virtual reality-based extreme sports games on stress, emotion, and anxiety levels in men with social anxiety disorder. Methods. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and 30-day follow-up assessments, this study recruited 84 men diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) via convenience sampling from psychology clinics and anxiety associations in Tehran, Iran. Participants were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (n=42) or a control group (n=42). The experimental intervention involved a series of immersive virtual reality (VR) simulations based on extreme sports, whereas the control condition participated in standard, non-VR physical exercise routines. To measure the primary outcomes, the validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale was administered at all three assessment points. Data analysis was performed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for baseline scores as covariates. Subsequently, Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons were conducted to scrutinize specific changes between the different time points. Results. The VR intervention produced significant reductions in depression (post-test partial η² = .283; follow-up η² = .261), anxiety (post-test η² = .320; follow-up η² = .301), and stress levels (post-test η² = .341; follow-up η² = .327; all p < .001). Pairwise comparisons confirmed robust decreases from baseline to post-test that were largely sustained at the 30-day follow-up. Conclusions. These findings suggest that virtual reality-based extreme sports games may serve as a safe, non-pharmaceutical intervention for men with this condition, paving the way for further extensive research in this area. The enhanced engagement in these digital platforms allowed subjects to confront their fears in a controlled space, thereby facilitating exposure therapy dynamics without the associated risks of actual extreme sports.
ER  -