ReviewJMIR serious games2018
Head-Mounted Virtual Reality and Mental Health: Critical Review of Current Research.
Review in JMIR serious games, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 192 citations in OpenAlex.
- Novel Insights into Addiction Management: A Meta-Analysis on Intervention for Relapse Prevention.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Application of virtual reality for supportive care in cancer patients: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Pooled it
- Virtual reality relaxation for people with mental health conditions: a systematic review.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023Pooled it
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based Rehabilitation Therapy on Reducing the Degree of Pain Experienced by Individuals with Low Back Pain.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- A Decade in Review: A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Interventions for Emotional Disorders.Psychosocial intervention · 2022Pooled it
- Virtual reality relaxation for the general population: a systematic review.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2021Pooled it
- Recommendations for the Design and Implementation of Virtual Reality for Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Are Modern Head-Mounted Displays Sexist? A Systematic Review on Gender Differences in HMD-Mediated Virtual Reality.Frontiers in psychology · 2020Pooled it
- Neuroscience of Virtual Reality: From Virtual Exposure to Embodied Medicine.Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking · 2019Pooled it
- Inferiority or Even Superiority of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in Phobias?-A Systematic Review and Quantitative Meta-Analysis on Randomized Controlled Trials Specifically Comparing the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Exposure to Gold StandardFrontiers in psychology · 2019Pooled it
- Effect of virtual reality intervention on hospitalized patients with acute pain after thoracoscopic surgery: a pilot randomized clinical trial.International journal of surgery (London, England) · 2025Trial
- The effect of virtual reality on reducing patients' anxiety and pain during dental implant surgery.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- The Use of Virtual Therapy in Cardiac Rehabilitation of Female Patients with Heart Disease.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Trial
- Effects of multisensory stimulation based on immersive virtual reality in postoperative neuropsychiatric recovery after gynecological laparoscopy.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- The Use of 360-Degree Video to Reduce Anxiety and Increase Confidence in Mental Health Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Preliminary Study.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2025Article
- Examining a Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Clinic in Treating Adults With Specific Phobia: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Classifying the features of digital mental health interventions to inform the development of a patient decision aid.PLOS digital health · 2025Review
- Contrasting cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses to breathwork vs. naturalistic stimuli in reflective chamber and VR headset environments.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Digital health interventions for people who use methamphetamine: a scoping review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- A Pilot Study of Virtual Reality in Hemodialysis for Mitigating Pain and Anxiety: User Experiences and Perceptions.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundeHealth interventions are becoming increasingly used in public health, with virtual reality (VR) being one of the most exciting recent developments. VR consists of a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment viewed through a head-mounted display. This medium has provided new possibilities to adapt problematic behaviors that affect mental health. VR is no longer unaffordable for individuals, and with mobile phone technology being able to track movements and project images through mobile head-mounted devices, VR is now a mobile tool that can be used at work, home, or on the move.
objectiveIn line with recent advances in technology, in this review, we aimed to critically assess the current state of research surrounding mental health.
methodsWe compiled a table of 82 studies that made use of head-mounted devices in their interventions.
resultsOur review demonstrated that VR is effective in provoking realistic reactions to feared stimuli, particularly for anxiety; moreover, it proved that the immersive nature of VR is an ideal fit for the management of pain. However, the lack of studies surrounding depression and stress highlight the literature gaps that still exist.
conclusionsVirtual environments that promote positive stimuli combined with health knowledge could prove to be a valuable tool for public health and mental health. The current state of research highlights the importance of the nature and content of VR interventions for improved mental health. While future research should look to incorporate more mobile forms of VR, a more rigorous reporting of VR and computer hardware and software may help us understand the relationship (if any) between increased specifications and the efficacy of treatment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.