SynthesisPsychiatry and clinical neurosciences2026
The use of virtual reality in forensic-correctional psychiatric settings: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis 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
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The use of virtual reality in forensic-correctional psychiatric settings: A systematic review.Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly being used as an innovative technology for assessment, treatment, and training within psychiatric settings. However, little work has been done to synthesize existing literature on the use and benefits of VR in forensic-correctional settings. This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. Protocol is available at Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/3m6p2). A total of 1317 articles were screened, and 32 reports were included in the final review. VR interventions were identified as effective in forensic-correctional settings for assessment of patients with pedophilic disorders, reducing aggression and stress, increasing empathy in intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders, enhancing community reintegration through education and vocational readiness, and improving patient engagement. Furthermore, VR allows innovative incorporation of biophysiological measures to support objective and quantifiable measures of risk within forensic-correctional populations. Barriers to VR use and implementation included cybersickness in users, the knowledge and technical burden to utilize interventions, and the demand for resources. The quality of the included studies was assessed as predominantly moderate. Overall, the findings in this review highlight the promising benefits of VR as an innovative tool for assessments and care in forensic-correctional settings. There is need for stakeholders' support, standardization of VR uses, and promotion of evidence-based guidelines for successful implementation and effective integration into care. As the integration of technologies into healthcare continues to advance, VR has the capacity to reshape mental health care within forensic-correctional settings and future research is needed to guide effective use.
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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.