Psychological relaxation techniques are now fundamental in stress-management and anxiety-disorder prevention training. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) stands out among various other training programmes. However, some limitations restrict its widespread usage, such as the requirements for a therapist to be in attendance and for patients to close their eyes during treatment. In such cases, support through immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) during the training procedure may be a suitable solution. In this study, an iVR application was developed for individuals undergoing PMR training, and an experimental design with both independent and subjective measures was conducted to compare this novel approach with conventional PMR training. The study was validated in two population groups: nursing undergraduates (one training session, n=63) and undergraduates following a test anxiety programme (complete training procedure: 7 sessions, n=13). The results pointed to high satisfaction and relaxation levels across all groups. No significant differences were found between the two methodologies, suggesting that the iVR application could be a useful tool in both educational and clinical contexts. In the long experience group (7 sessions), the iVR students showed higher interest which may have contributed to adherence to the entire training procedure. Furthermore, the iVR tool demonstrated potential suitability users unable to follow conventional procedures, exemplified by a student who, due to her own anxiety-related symptoms, felt very uncomfortable when instructed to close her eyes during the relaxation training.

While anxiety can be adaptive at moderate levels, it may also develop into a clinical disorder when it becomes excessively intense. In the university academic environment, such disorders not only affect the students’ academic performance but also their overall well-being. This study aims to analyze anxiety levels among students at the University of Burgos and identify factors that may influence the manifestation of anxiety. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was administrated digitally to 302 students (74 men, 228 women) from the University of Burgos via Microsoft Forms, following a cross-sectional quantitative research design. The study revealed high levels of both state and trait anxiety among the student sample. While trait anxiety levels were similar between genders, women tended to report higher state anxiety. Students in technical fields and those fully dedicated to their studies exhibited higher trait anxiety. Additionally, age, academic discipline, and living away from one’s hometown significantly predicted higher state anxiety. Age and exclusive academic dedication also predicted higher trait anxiety. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing anxiety differences across student subgroups and providing targeted support during this critical developmental period.

The adolescence period is characterized by significant changes in individuals' lives, which can lead to various emotional and behavioural problems. Therefore, it is important for young adults to have tools for self-regulation, understanding, and controlling their physiological symptoms. Integrating these tools as gamified elements into new technologies is a way to engage a younger audience. In recent years, the effectiveness of immersive Virtual Reality has been repeatedly demonstrated in fields such as Psychology and Education. The combination of this technology with biosensors enables individuals to be aware of their real-time physiological states. This physiological monitoring can lead to adaptations in applications based on the individual's emotional state, for example. This work describes the design and development of an immersive Virtual Reality game whose main interaction is through biofeedback. The game is called "Alice, Beyond Reality", and its objective is to help young adults learn to self-regulate their physiological responses. The game draws inspiration from the well-known story of "Alice in Wonderland". In this story, the Queen of Hearts has transformed all the characters into cards, and the players must help them escape before it's too late. To achieve this, the players are guided by the White Rabbit through different levels where interaction through physiology is key. For instance, the players must learn to increase and decrease their heart rate to solve puzzles that allow them to progress to the next level. Throughout the game, gamification elements such as points, progressive difficulty, and various challenges are included to motivate the players to continue advancing in the game. Through the biofeedback system, the players become aware of their physiological changes to control them voluntarily. In the final screen, the players are shown their progression throughout the game so they can recognize their evolution. In the near future, an initial validation with users will be conducted to assess the usability and functionality of the game.

Since test anxiety is a phenomenon that affects many students both academically and personally, this study presents an innovative exposure intervention based on 360° videos. To reduce test anxiety among university students participating in a test anxiety management intervention program, to evaluate exposure therapy using 360° videos compared to other exposure therapies, and to assess participants satisfaction. An applied experimental pre-post study was conducted using an inter-intra A-B design. Twenty university students participated in the study. Ten of them were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions; exposure with 360° videos (360), virtual reality (VR), and imagination (IM); while the remaining ten students constituted the control group. Four questionnaires were used as assessment tools to measure general state and trait anxiety (STAI), as well as state (CRAP) and trait (IAE) test anxiety. A satisfaction questionnaire was also administered. A tendency of reduction in both general anxiety and test anxiety was observed in all participants. No significant differences were found between the three experimental conditions. All students reported high satisfaction scores with the intervention. Exposure through the three modalities appears to be both effective and well-accepted among students.

Background Pre-exam anxiety is a very common feeling among university students that manifests at cognitive, behavioural, and physiological levels. It affects between 15 and 25% of students, generating avoidance behaviours towards evaluation, which can result in dropping out of school. The development of biofeedback-based devices that relay visual and auditory feedback on physiological symptoms, offers new options for individual programmes. Said devices can help a person acquire greater control over the bodily function that is being monitored and are currently being used in many fields. It is therefore worth assessing the effectiveness of this technology at processing information on the objective physiological response to anxiety in study situations. Furthermore, universities could develop health programmes implementing this technology to improve students’ quality of life. Objective During the biofeedback sessions, the aim is to collect physiological measures of the anxiety response before and after two independent preventive psychological programmes. It is also intended to assess the presence of differences between physiological and subjective data through questionnaires with Likert-type scales. Methods Two experimental groups were formed for this quasi-experimental applied research: G1 (19 students), Students participating in a Self-Control and Study Techniques Programme; and G2 (12 students), Students participating in the Test Anxiety Control Programme. Their objective physiological responses were evaluated in two biofeedback sessions: pre-test (before the start of the programmes) and post-test (after their completion) (4 weeks for G1 and 12 weeks for G2). The biofeedback device used was Neurobit Optima 4 + BT. The inclusion criteria were: (1) age of majority (18 years); (2) voluntary participation in the programs offered by the University Health Care Service of the University of Burgos; (3) signing the informed consent form. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Twenty-two adults divided into G1 (12 students, 1 man and 11 women) and G2 (10 students, 1 men and 9 women) completed the programmes. The mean age and Standard Deviation (SD) of G1 and G2 were, respectively, 24.20 (6.93) years old and 25.00 (6.22) years old. There were significant temporal differences between measurement sessions (all P < 0.045). G1 presented significantly different galvanic skin responses (all P < 0.011) that tended to peak; G2 presented significantly different muscular tension and galvanic skin responses (all P < 0.037), both in total and by phases, showing progressively lower muscular tension, and galvanic skin responses that tended to peak. In G1, significant links were noted both between the items of the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and the galvanic skin responses monitored during the pre-test session (r = 0.229; P = 0.012) and between the items of the Test Anxiety Inventory and the galvanic skin responses monitored during the post-test data-collection session (r = 0.201; P = 0.028). In G2, significant links were noted between the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory items and both muscular tension (r = 0.278; P = 0.005) and the galvanic skin response in the pre-test data-collection session (r = 0.258; P = 0.010) and between the TAI items and the galvanic skin response in the post-test data-collection session (r = − 0.232; P = 0.020). Most participants reported useful and interesting biofeedback experiences. Conclusions Promising preliminary evidence is advanced in this study on the effectiveness of biofeedback as a tool for monitoring and relaying objective physiological data to participants in real time. The significance of these results should be examined in future research in which the emotional reactions of students facing test-related anxiety may be monitored for the subsequent development of therapeutic programmes.

Background: The mental health of university students has emerged as a critical concern in higher education, with rising prevalence of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. Perceived emotional intelligence and particularly the capacity to manage emotions is considered a key protective factor for psychological wellbeing. The Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) operationalizes this construct through three dimensions: emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair. Objective: To analyze levels of emotional attention, clarity, and repair in university students participating in the University Health Care Service (SUAS) of the University of Burgos, and to examine differences by gender, field of knowledge, and academic year. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental study was conducted with a convenience sample of 53 university students (40 women, 13 men; Mage = 26.28, SD = 9.99). Participants completed the Spanish version of the TMMS-24 via an online form. Independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were used; effect sizes (Cohen's d, η²) were computed for all inferential analyses. Ethical approval was granted by the Bioethics Committee of the University of Burgos. Results: Internal consistency was adequate (α = .892). Emotional attention fell within the adequate range (M = 28.47, SD = 6.33), while emotional clarity (M = 22.09, SD = 7.33) and emotional repair (M = 23.70, SD = 6.35) were both in the low range. No statistically significant differences were found across gender, field of knowledge, or academic year on any TMMS-24 dimension (all p > .30; effect sizes negligible to small). Conclusions: Students demonstrated adequate capacity to identify their emotional states but showed notable deficits in comprehending and regulating them. The homogeneity of emotional profiles across demographic subgroups underscores the need for structured university-level programs targeting emotional clarity and repair competencies.