The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Virtual reality (VR) was found to be effective in the treatment of several specific psychopathologies. However, the effects of VR-based interventions beyond the disorder-specific approach and their ability to improve transdiagnostic factors of mental disorders are unknown. This PRISMA systematic rev...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/21/6463 |
| _version_ | 1797467741570990080 |
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| author | Valentina Gardini Giorgia Gamberini Sophia Müller Silvana Grandi Elena Tomba |
| author_facet | Valentina Gardini Giorgia Gamberini Sophia Müller Silvana Grandi Elena Tomba |
| author_sort | Valentina Gardini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virtual reality (VR) was found to be effective in the treatment of several specific psychopathologies. However, the effects of VR-based interventions beyond the disorder-specific approach and their ability to improve transdiagnostic factors of mental disorders are unknown. This PRISMA systematic review was conducted using databases PubMed and PsycINFO, searching articles published between 2010 and September 2022. Keywords “emotion regulation”, “cognitive reappraisal”, “avoidance”, “impulsivity”, “aggression”, and “disinhibition” were combined with “virtual reality” to retrieve studies showing the effects of VR-based interventions on these transdiagnostic factors. 29 experimental studies and seven case-studies were selected. A total of 23 considered avoidance, eight dealt with emotion regulation, three concerned aggression, two addressed impulsivity, two dealt with cognitive reappraisal, and none examined disinhibition. Most of the studies included anxiety disorder patients (<i>n</i> = 15), especially with specific phobias (<i>n</i> = 8) and social anxiety disorder (<i>n</i> = 4). VR managed to improve all transdiagnostic factors, with results often maintained at follow-ups (<i>n</i> = 21 studies; range: 1–12 months) and similar to traditional interventions (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy). Exploring the transdiagnostic potential of VR may help to reduce costs and improve applicability in clinical psychology. While results were promising, further studies are needed for aggression, impulsivity and cognitive reappraisal, especially including follow-ups, comparisons with first-line treatments, and understudied clinical populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:58:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb43ba4f9c314ffd8b811a7e8928fd7b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:58:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb43ba4f9c314ffd8b811a7e8928fd7b2023-11-24T05:18:20ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832022-10-011121646310.3390/jcm11216463The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the LiteratureValentina Gardini0Giorgia Gamberini1Sophia Müller2Silvana Grandi3Elena Tomba4Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, ItalyInstitute for Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, ItalyVirtual reality (VR) was found to be effective in the treatment of several specific psychopathologies. However, the effects of VR-based interventions beyond the disorder-specific approach and their ability to improve transdiagnostic factors of mental disorders are unknown. This PRISMA systematic review was conducted using databases PubMed and PsycINFO, searching articles published between 2010 and September 2022. Keywords “emotion regulation”, “cognitive reappraisal”, “avoidance”, “impulsivity”, “aggression”, and “disinhibition” were combined with “virtual reality” to retrieve studies showing the effects of VR-based interventions on these transdiagnostic factors. 29 experimental studies and seven case-studies were selected. A total of 23 considered avoidance, eight dealt with emotion regulation, three concerned aggression, two addressed impulsivity, two dealt with cognitive reappraisal, and none examined disinhibition. Most of the studies included anxiety disorder patients (<i>n</i> = 15), especially with specific phobias (<i>n</i> = 8) and social anxiety disorder (<i>n</i> = 4). VR managed to improve all transdiagnostic factors, with results often maintained at follow-ups (<i>n</i> = 21 studies; range: 1–12 months) and similar to traditional interventions (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy). Exploring the transdiagnostic potential of VR may help to reduce costs and improve applicability in clinical psychology. While results were promising, further studies are needed for aggression, impulsivity and cognitive reappraisal, especially including follow-ups, comparisons with first-line treatments, and understudied clinical populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/21/6463virtual realitytransdiagnostic factorsavoidanceemotion regulationcognitive reappraisalaggression |
| spellingShingle | Valentina Gardini Giorgia Gamberini Sophia Müller Silvana Grandi Elena Tomba The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature Journal of Clinical Medicine virtual reality transdiagnostic factors avoidance emotion regulation cognitive reappraisal aggression |
| title | The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature |
| title_full | The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature |
| title_short | The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature |
| title_sort | effects of virtual reality in targeting transdiagnostic factors for mental health a systematic review of the literature |
| topic | virtual reality transdiagnostic factors avoidance emotion regulation cognitive reappraisal aggression |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/21/6463 |
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