eprintid: 10206010
rev_number: 8
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/20/60/10
datestamp: 2025-03-13 13:04:35
lastmod: 2025-03-13 13:04:35
status_changed: 2025-03-13 13:04:35
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Bin, Shiyi
creators_name: Alrashdi, Duaa H
creators_name: Whitehead, Tamara
creators_name: Riches, Simon
creators_name: Drini, Eugenia
title: Mental Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Virtual Reality Therapies: A Systematic Review
ispublished: inpress
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C07
divisions: D79
divisions: FH7
keywords: VR,
Clinicians,
Digital therapeutics,
Immersive technology, 
Psychotherapy, 
Healthcare
note: Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
abstract: Virtual reality (VR) therapies show promise in mental health treatment, yet their adoption in clinical practice remains limited. Understanding mental health professionals’ attitudes is crucial for successful implementation. A systematic search was conducted by the first author with support from a librarian in eight databases (PubMed [1966], PsycINFO [1967], Web of Science [1900], Scopus [1966], Medline [1946], Global Health [1973], Embase [1974], and PsycExtra [1908]), Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Global until May 9th 2024. Twenty studies (2010–2024) from Europe (n = 11), North America (n = 5), Oceania (n = 3), and Asia (n = 1), comprising 1300 mental health professionals, meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research. The methodological quality of the included studies was moderate to high, but some limitations in sampling strategies. Data were synthesized using narrative synthesis. Results indicated that while only 3% of mental health professionals reported using VR in clinical settings, they predominantly held positive attitudes towards VR therapies but identified numerous barriers. Key facilitators included VR’s accessibility, safety and controllability (the therapist’s ability to customize stimulus according to patients’ needs), and increased patient engagement. Key barriers encompassed technical limitations, high cost, treatment suitability concerns, potential side effects, workload, and time investment. The findings highlight the need for targeted training programs, improved technological infrastructure, and clearer guidelines to support VR therapies in mental health practice. Future research could focus on ways to address these limitations and using facilitators to enhance VR adoption.
date: 2025-03-10
date_type: published
publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
official_url: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00499-x
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 2369671
doi: 10.1007/s41347-025-00499-x
lyricists_name: Drini Papagiannopoulou, Evgenia
lyricists_name: Alrashdi, Duaa
lyricists_id: EDRIN87
lyricists_id: DALRA95
actors_name: Drini Papagiannopoulou, Evgenia
actors_id: EDRIN87
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science
issn: 2366-5963
citation:        Bin, Shiyi;    Alrashdi, Duaa H;    Whitehead, Tamara;    Riches, Simon;    Drini, Eugenia;      (2025)    Mental Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Virtual Reality Therapies: A Systematic Review.                   Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science        10.1007/s41347-025-00499-x <https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00499-x>.    (In press).    Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10206010/1/s41347-025-00499-x.pdf