VR-TSST: Understanding Stress Responses in Adolescents and Young Adults

Aamillya Joseph

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Liberal Arts

Major: BS.PSY/PSYCREHAB

Faculty Research Mentor: Yu Sun Chung  

Abstract:

Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a valuable tool for inducing and measuring stressresponses due to its immersive and controllable environments. VR stress paradigms, particularlythe Virtual Reality Trier Social Stress Test (VR-TSST), reliably trigger physiological andpsychological responses such as increased heart rate and activation of thehypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in adults. However, the effects of VR-TSST onadolescents and young adults remain underexplored, despite adolescence being a critical periodof vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology. This review examined 19 empirical studies: 13using VR-TSST in adults, 5 using the TSST-Children, and 1 using the standard TSST. Findingsindicate that VR-TSST reliably elicits stress responses comparable to in-person TSST, with menshowing greater physiological reactivity and women reporting higher perceived stress. Fewstudies have included adolescents, who show attenuated physiological responses compared toadults. Future research should recruit more diverse populations, measure pubertal status andhormonal influences, and assess additional biomarkers such as immune function. VR also holdspotential as an intervention tool for building stress resilience in youth. Longitudinal studies areneeded to understand adaptation to VR-induced stress and its implications for mental healthoutcomes.Keywords: Virtual Reality, Trier Social Stress Test, VR-TSST, Adolescents, Stress Reactivity,HPA Axis, Psychosocial Stress, Internalizing Psychopathology, Immune Function, StressIntervention