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Cited by 240Virtual Reality Applications and ImpactsDigital Mental Health InterventionsPsychotherapy Techniques and Applications

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 89 of the 90 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Virtual reality in psychiatric disorders: A systematic review of reviews

Open access
Cieślik, Błażej, Mazurek, Justyna, Rutkowski, Sebastian, Kiper, Paweł, Turolla, Andrea, Szczepańska-Gieracha, Joanna·2020·Complementary Therapies in Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102480
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) is being used more and more often as a therapeutic tool in psychology or psychiatry. In recent years, VR interventions appear more extensively also in disorders such as depression, anxiety and phobia. However, there has yet to be a comprehensive synthesis and critical review of the literature to identify future directions to advance the field in this area. OBJECTIVES: To broadly characterize the literature to date on the application of VR in psychiatric disorders by conducting a systematic review of reviews, describe the limitations of existing research, suggest avenues for future research to address gaps in the current literature and provide practical recommendations for incorporating VR into various treatments for psychiatric disorders. METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for reviews on VR use in psychiatric disorders (e.g. various pain perceptions, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychosis, depression). The methodological quality of each literature review was assessed using AMSTAR. RESULTS: The original search identified 848 reviews, of which 70 were included in the systematic review of reviews. Broadly, the literature indicates that various VR interventions could be useful in different psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence supporting the positive impact of VR therapy in psychiatric disorders. However, the impact is defined differently according to the studied area. Nevertheless, due to the continuous development of VR hardware and software, it is essential to conduct further research in the area of psychiatric disorders, especially as no review has concluded that VR does not work.

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Ambroży, 2016, The actual use of the virtual world: A meta-analysis of research on virtual reality [Rzeczywiste zastosowanie wirtualnego świata: Metaanaliza badań na temat wirtualnej rzeczywistości], Kultura Bezpieczeństwa Nauka-Praktyka-Refleksje, 22, 46

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Metadata

Authors
Cieślik, B., Mazurek, J., Rutkowski, S., Kiper, P., Turolla, A., & Szczepańska-Gieracha, J.
Affiliations
  • Jan Długosz University (PL)
  • Wroclaw Medical University (PL)
  • Opole University of Technology (PL)
  • IRCCS San Camillo Hospital (IT)
  • University of Wrocław (PL)
Corresponding author
Cieślik, Błażej
ORCID
Venue
Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-08
Volume
52
Pages
102480
ISSN
0965-2299 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102480
OpenAlex
W3035314657
Cited by
240
References
90
Citations by year
2026: 38 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 4
FWCI
3.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Complementary Therapies in Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Keywords
virtual reality, mental illness, virtual reality therapy, depression, anxiety, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychosis, pain perception, psychotherapy
MeSH terms
Systematic Reviews as Topic, Mental Disorders, Humans, Review Literature as Topic, Pain Management, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

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