A systematic review on the efficacy of virtual reality and gamification interventions for managing anxiety and depression

Nuru Jingili; Solomon Sunday Oyelere; Markus B T Nyström; Lina Anyshchenko

doi:10.3389/fdgth.2023.1239435

A systematic review on the efficacy of virtual reality and gamification interventions for managing anxiety and depression

Front Digit Health. 2023 Nov 7:5:1239435. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1239435. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Nuru Jingili¹, Solomon Sunday Oyelere¹, Markus B T Nyström², Lina Anyshchenko²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Skellefteå, Sweden.
² Department of Health, Education and Technology Division, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.

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.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; mental health; randomized controlled trials; virtual reality.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received funding from PRECISE-Luleå University of Technology: grant number: LTU-3515-2022 for project “Personalized virtual reality and gamification intervention for addressing mental health”.