ReviewFrontiers in digital health2023
A systematic review on the efficacy of virtual reality and gamification interventions for managing anxiety and depression.
Review in Frontiers in digital health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 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
30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Virtual reality in neurorehabilitation for musculoskeletal disorders: a bibliometric analysis from 2010 to 2025.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Pooled 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
- A Mobile Virtual Reality-Based Intervention for Stress Reduction Among Young Adults: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Trial
- An Interactive Preoperative Virtual Reality Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Oncological Surgery: A Feasibility and Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of surgical oncology · 2026Trial
- Trial
- The role of virtual reality-based cognitive training in enhancing motivation and cognitive functions in individuals with chronic stroke.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- The Impact of Self-Managed Virtual Reality Relaxation on Non-invasive Ambulatory Physiological Markers in Home-Based Psychiatric Care.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Article
- Adult cancer survivors' perceptions of immersive virtual reality exercise and its utility during chemotherapy infusion: a concurrent mixed method exploratory study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation Training and Symptom Improvement Among Inpatients With Depressive Disorders: Retrospective Nonrandomized Comparative Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Artificial Intelligence-Integrated Virtual Reality in Mental Health Care: A Scoping Review of Evidence, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Sex Differences in Elderly Multiple Sclerosis Patients Undergoing Neurorehabilitation: How Many Things are Taken for Granted? A Retrospective Study.Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology · 2026Article
- The Role of Temporality in Virtual Reality Interventions for Depressive Episodes-A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Comparative changes in problematic smartphone use tendencies across four active exercise modalities among college students: an exploratory multicategorical relative indirect-effect analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 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
- Evaluating the Effects of Clinician Prescribing and Implementation Materials on Adoption of Virtual Reality Therapeutics: Randomized Feasibility Pilot Study.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2026Article
- 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
- Shaping the future of psychotherapy: Leveraging technology-supported online clinics.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025Article
- Extended reality and healthcare practitioner well-being: scoping review.BJPsych open · 2025Review
- Virtual Meets Reality: A Psychodynamic Perspective on Immersive Technologies.Clinical neuropsychiatry · 2025Article
- Designing for Engagement in Primary Health Education Through Digital Game-Based Learning: Cross-National Behavioral Evidence from the iLearn4Health Platform.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) and gamification interventions in addressing anxiety and depression. The review also seeks to identify gaps in the current VR treatment landscape and provide guidelines for future research and development. A systematic literature search was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases, focusing on studies that utilized VR and gamification technology to address anxiety and depression disorders. A total of 2,664 studies were initially identified, 15 of those studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The efficacy of VR in addressing anxiety and depression was evident across all included studies. However, the diversity among VR interventions highlights the need for further investigation. It is advised to incorporate more diverse participant samples and larger cohorts and explore a broader spectrum of therapeutic approaches within VR interventions for addressing anxiety and depression to enhance the credibility of future research. Additionally, conducting studies in varying socioeconomic contexts would contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of their real-world applicability.
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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.