Immersive Technologies for Depression Care: Scoping Review (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Depression significantly impacts the quality of life, affecting approximately 280 million people globally. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated depression, underscoring the need for innovative mental health solutions, particularly in resource-limited areas. Immersive technologies (IMT), like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), offer new avenues for treating depression by creating immersive environments for therapeutic interventions. OBJECTIVE We aimed to map the available evidence on IMT interventions targeting depression treatment. METHODS This scoping review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework, systematically searching databases for studies on IMT and depression. The focus was on Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) involving adults and using IMT. The selection and charting process involved multiple reviewers to minimize bias. RESULTS The search identified 16 peer-reviewed articles, predominantly from Europe (56.3%), with a notable emphasis on Poland, contributing half of the studies (50%). These studies were primarily conducted between 2020 and 2021, accounting for 56.3% of the total. In terms of participant demographics, five articles (31.3%) exclusively involved female participants, and seven articles (43.8%) featured participant age means or medians above 60 years. Regarding technical aspects, all of the studies focused on VR, with most utilizing standalone VR headsets (87.5%), and interventions typically ranging from 2 to 8 weeks, predominantly in hospital settings. Only two studies mentioned the use of a specific VR design framework in planning their interventions. The most frequently employed therapeutic approach was Erickson's psychotherapy, used in 56.3% of the studies. Notably, none of the documents reported using an implementation framework or identified barriers and enablers to implementation. CONCLUSIONS This scoping review highlights the growing interest in using IMT, particularly VR, for depression treatment, but emphasizes the need for more inclusive and comprehensive research. Future studies should explore varied therapeutic approaches, cost-effectiveness, and the inclusion of AR to fully realize the potential of IMT in mental health care.