Freely Available Virtual Reality Experiences as Tools to Support Mental Health Therapy: a Systematic Scoping Review...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Technology
• Digital Therapeutics
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) shows promise for enhancing traditional mental health therapies like guided imagery.
• Despite cost reductions, VR adoption in routine mental health practice is currently low.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the therapeutic potential of freely available virtual reality (VR) content.
• To assess VR as a supplementary tool for mental health practitioners.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review of VR experiences on SteamVR and Oculus.com.
• Interdisciplinary panel analysis of 46 selected VR experiences for therapeutic value.

Main Results:

• Eleven (22%) of the reviewed VR experiences demonstrated therapeutic potential.
• Identified applications include support for low mood, social anxiety, stress reduction, and fear of heights.

Conclusions:

• Freely available VR content can be a valuable adjunct to mental health therapy, offering support for various conditions.
• VR can be utilized as a homework activity or for initial case formulation and behavioral experiments.
• Professional guidance is crucial for optimizing the therapeutic benefits of VR interventions.