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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Molecular Psychiatry
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1480788
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances, Opportunities and Challenges of Using Modern AGI and AIGC Technologies in Depression and Related Disorders View all articles

Evaluating Virtual Reality Technology in Psychotherapy: Impacts on Anxiety, Depression, and ADHD

Provisionally accepted
Peng Wang Peng Wang 1Xiaowen Ai Xiaowen Ai 1Xiyang Zhang Xiyang Zhang 1Fei Ma Fei Ma 2Yan Zhuang Yan Zhuang 3Suogang Wang Suogang Wang 1*
  • 1 Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
  • 2 Taiyuan University, Taiyuan, Shaanxi, China
  • 3 Taiyuan Psychiatric Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Mental health issues pose a significant challenge for medical providers and the general public. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, mental health problems will become the leading cause of global disease burden, highlighting the urgent need for effective mental health interventions. Virtual reality-cognitive behavioral therapy (VR-CBT) has emerged as a promising treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders, offering immersive and engaging therapeutic experiences.Objective: This study aims to assess the advancements in applying virtual reality (VR) technology for diagnosing and treating mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with VR technology in mental health treatment and introduces the CBT-CHAT Treatment Framework to enhance cognitive behavioral therapy. Method: A systematic search was conducted across the databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science, followed by a scoping review.Duplicates were removed using the EndNote literature management software. Each article was then carefully read and evaluated for its research content, methodology, results, and contribution to the application of VR technology in mental health domains. Results: The search retrieved 686 articles, and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 articles were ultimately selected. These articles covered the application of VR in anxiety, depression, and ADHD. The research results indicate that VR shows promising outcomes in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of anxiety, depression, and ADHD, particularly in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of ADHD. Conclusion: The previously published studies consistently demonstrate that VR is an effective tool for supporting the treatment of mental illnesses across various settings and recommend its incorporation into clinical practice.

    Keywords: VR-CBT, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, artificial intelligence

    Received: 14 Aug 2024; Accepted: 02 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Ai, Zhang, Ma, Zhuang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Suogang Wang, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.