SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
The effects of virtual reality interventions on outcomes related to well-being among autistic children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Virtual reality (VR) interventions have been increasingly employed in therapeutic and educational contexts for autistic children. Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to examine the effects of VR interventions on outcomes related to subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) among autistic children. Method: This meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. First, seven electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ProQuest Central, and IEEE Xplore. Subsequently, ten eligible studies were identified. Finally, data extraction was conducted, and effect sizes were pooled using random-effects models for SWB-related outcomes and PWB-related outcomes, respectively. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses, publication bias tests, and quality assessment were also performed. Results: VR yielded a positive yet nonsignificant effect on SWB-related outcomes (g = 0.37, 95% CI [-0.03, 0.78], z = 1.80, Conclusion: Pooled analyses revealed a statistically significant positive effect of VR interventions on PWB-related outcomes among autistic children. However, this finding should be interpreted with caution given that 70% of included randomized trials had some concerns regarding risk of bias and only eight effect sizes contributed to this pooled estimate. Current evidence supports tentative promise for VR within research-oriented clinical and educational contexts rather than immediate real-world clinical application, while its potential for enhancing SWB-related outcomes remains to be further investigated. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261411309.
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