Researchers at Wayne State University and Johns Hopkins University are exploring the use of virtual reality to reduce stress in young adults suffering from diabetes.
The study, titled Feasibility of MBSR-VR to Reduce Stress among Emerging Adults with T1D,
is supported by a three-year grant of $941,418 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. April Idalski Carcone, Ph.D., professor of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine, is the co-principal Investigator on the study.
We’ve been collaborating with Johns Hopkins University on this line of research for more than 10 years,
Dr. Carcone said. Cortisol increases as a result of stress, and stress can essentially wear out the body.
The goal of the research is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of virtually-delivered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction enhanced with virtual reality.
The research also will explore any effects MBSR has on glycemic control, mindfulness and psychological distress such as stress, depression and anxiety.
Youths between ages 16 and 20 are very motivated by their social life, peers and significant others,
Dr. Carcone said.
These techniques allow us to bring people together who might not otherwise be able to come together. In Detroit, you can gather patients at a hospital, but this method will also allow us to help those living in more rural communities. There’s often not another person who has type 1 diabetes if you live in a small Upper Peninsula community, for instance.
This will let them touch base with others their own age who are going through something similar and share experiences that they might not be comfortable talking about with a friend who isn’t going through the same thing.
Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for Research & Innovation at Wayne State University, noted the significance of the funding.
This award from the National Institutes of Health is an excellent example of the important research that our faculty are engaged in that are seeking solutions for complex challenges
Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for Research & Innovation at Wayne State University
Obasi added that the work of Dr. Carcone and her collaborators could assist the lives of countless young people in Detroit, across Michigan and around the globe. The grant number for this award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health is 1R01DK141816.