Alleviating Stress among Racial Minorities during Pregnancy with VR

Pregnancy is a period of stress, with research showing that 17 % of pregnant people are psychologically stressed, with clinically significant levels of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress, and another 16 percent are physically stressed, with relatively higher daily blood pressure and greater caloric intake compared to healthy pregnant people.Stress during pregnancy disproportionately affects people of color. One 2020 study revealed that Black birthing people had more risk factors for chronic stress than their White counterparts. According to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, chronic stress tied to racism is a risk factor for maternal mental health disorders. In fact, Black women are at risk of the ‘weathering hypothesis’ defined as “a chain of biological processes that undermine Black women’s physical and mental health.”