ReviewJMIR mental health2023
The Use of Virtual Reality Interventions to Promote Positive Mental Health: Systematic Literature Review.
Review in JMIR mental health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 4 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
37 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- Virtual Reality Interventions for Stress Reduction in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of virtual reality technology on the intervention of mental health problems among healthcare workers: a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Application of Positive Psychology in Digital Interventions for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials.JMIR mental health · 2024Pooled it
- Assessing the Impact of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Video Games on Improving Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingPooled it
- Effects of a Semantically Irrelevant Virtual Reality Experience on Memory and Emotion After Watching a Traumatic Event: Randomized Controlled Experimental Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Emotional Regulation and Physiological Responses to a Cultural Heritage Virtual Reality Experience in Older Adults: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Therapist-guided virtual reality exposure therapy for fear of heights: evidence from a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Developing a Virtual Reality Application for Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Cultural Determinants of Health Support With an Aboriginal Community of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: Protocol for an Acceptability and Feasibility Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Digital Psychiatry with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Recent Advances and Limitations.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Predictors of Professional Responses in Nonprofit Mental Health Forums: Interpretable Machine Learning Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Immersive metaverse art as a psychological intervention for depression and anxiety: a narrative review and multilevel model integrating engagement, cultural identity, and neurocognitive mechanisms.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Persuasive Gamified Virtual Reality Experience to Enhance Engagement and Focus in Young Adults With Mild Anxiety Symptoms: Randomized Pilot Experimental Study.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2026Article
- Critical factors influencing the adoption of virtual reality technology for improving mental health among university students: an extended technology acceptance model.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- A pilot study: virtual reality-based intervention to boost optimism and alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression in undergraduates.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Article
- Immersive virtual reality-based intervention for psychological wellbeing among older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Effects of an Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Intervention on Psychological and Physiological Outcomes in College Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Data-driven design guide for vibrotactile display layouts by continuous mapping.Scientific reports · 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
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA large body of research has documented the efficacy of psychological interventions integrated with virtual reality (VR) therapies in treating psychiatric disorders. However, the concept of positive mental health calls for a 2-fold approach in which both symptoms and positive functioning should be addressed by modern interventions.
objectiveThis review aimed to summarize studies that applied VR therapies by embracing the positive mental health perspective.
methodsA literature search was conducted by entering the following keywords-"virtual reality" AND "intervention" OR "treatment" OR "therapy" AND "mental health" NOT "systematic review or meta-analysis"-and limiting it to "journal article" and the English language. To be included in this review, articles had to present at least one quantitative measure of positive functioning and one quantitative measure of symptoms or distress and had to investigate adult populations, including populations with psychiatric disorders.
resultsA total of 20 articles were included. They described various VR protocols that were applied for the treatment of anxiety disorders (5/20, 25%), depression (2/20, 10%), posttraumatic stress disorder (3/20, 15%), psychosis (3/20, 15%), and stress (7/20, 35%). Most of the studies (13/20, 65%) showed the beneficial effects of VR therapies in improving stress and negative symptoms. However, 35% (7/20) of the studies showed no or a small effect on the various dimensions of positivity, particularly in clinical samples.
conclusionsVR interventions might be cost-effective and largely scalable, but further research is needed to develop existing VR software and treatments according to the modern positive mental health approach.
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.