Mental Health RAISR4D

Application of VR360 for Clinical Reasoning Development in Occupational Therapy Students in Handling Complex Behavioural Symptoms in Individuals With Dementia

19/05/2026

AI Summary

VR360 immersive module significantly improved OT students' clinical reasoning across content, procedural and conceptual domains, with large effect sizes (d≈1.94–2.11).
VR360 was feasible and effective for OT education in teaching management of BPSD such as hoarding, wandering and low mood.
Qualitative data indicated increased student confidence, better cue recognition, enhanced empathy and adoption of personalised care approaches when managing complex dementia behaviours.

Occup Ther Int. 2026;2026(1):e7492246. doi: 10.1155/oti/7492246.

ABSTRACT

Managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) demands advanced clinical reasoning, yet traditional teaching often falls short. Virtual Reality 360° (VR360) technology offers immersive learning that may strengthen competence in dementia care. This study explored whether occupational therapy (OT) students’ reasoning improved after a VR360 module addressing BPSD such as hoarding, wandering, low mood and daily living challenges. Sixty students (35 female, 25 male; undergraduate and postgraduate) participated. Using a mixed-methods, single-group pre-post design, students completed the Clinical Reasoning Assessment Tool before and after four VR360 scenarios. Large improvements emerged across domains: content (d = 1.94), procedural (d = 2.11) and conceptual (d = 2.08). Qualitative themes highlighted confidence, cue recognition, empathy and personalised care. Findings suggest VR360 is feasible and effective for OT education.

PMID:42153966 | DOI:10.1155/oti/7492246

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