Utilising virtual reality in alcohol studies: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: The resurgence of VR in recent years has been exciting for health educators and researchers, yet little is known about VR's effectiveness. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of the prevalence of VR in alcohol studies and assess its effectiveness. Methods: Peer reviewed articles were systematically searched from online databases including PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Science Direct, Emerald, OVID, Taylor & Francis, and EBSCO. Grey literature and conference papers were excluded. Studies that passed the inclusion criteria were qualitatively assessed. Findings: Of the 1739 studies retrieved, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Three main applications of VR were found; 1) Cue-exposure therapy, 2) Driving simulators for examining relationships between alcohol and neurological activity, and 3) Training of healthcare professionals. Only one study focused on adolescents, and only one study reported longitudinal outcomes. Conclusion: VR remains underutilised in alcohol studies. VR was indicated positive results across the three contexts, however longitudinal evidence remains limited and therefore restricts the generalisability of findings. More long-term empirical research is warranted.

Alcohol Craving in Heavy and Occasional Alcohol Drinkers After Cue Exposure in a Virtual Environment: The Role of the Sense of Presence

“…In conclusion, ecological validity, the feeling of believability, realism, and the naturalness of the displayed environment seems to be crucial for generating alcohol craving in heavy alcohol drinkers. While realism seems to be an important variable to take into account in drug addiction, the majority of similar previous studies used computer-generated virtual graphics with various levels of quality (Bordnick et al, 2008;Cho et al, 2008;Lee et al, 2008;Ryan et al, 2010) and often with a lack of graphical fidelity (Durl et al, 2018). In the field of drug addiction, future studies should, therefore, define the minimum threshold of realism and the best scenarios to maximize the induction of craving.…”

“…As differential levels of craving between occasional and heavy drinkers are observable after immersion in an alcohol virtual environment, an obvious use of virtual reality is through desensitization treatments through exposure to alcohol-related cues. More broadly, virtual reality seems to be a promising tool in the development of new revalidation and prevention programs to generate lasting behavioral changes (Durl et al, 2018). Through the observation of patients in risky situations (in a restaurant, having a drink on a terrace, or spending an evening with friends), the therapist can better understand his behavior, help him to manage craving, improve his coping skills and teach new strategies to prevent relapse (Bordnick and Washburn, 2019).…”

User Experiences with a Virtual Alcohol Prevention Simulation for Danish Adolescents

“…Using VR has the advantage that complex information can be presented to the audience in an accessible way in a format which is engaging and easily understood [ 9 ]. The usage of VR technology in alcohol studies is still in its infancy [ 10 ], and in a review of the prevalence hereof, only one study had its focus on adolescents [ 11 ].…”

Co-creating Virtual Reality Interventions for Alcohol Prevention: Living Lab vs. Co-design

“…It provides researchers with the opportunity to collaborate closely with key stakeholders to ensure that all voices are heard prior to embarking on the subsequent six steps of the process. This can take many shapes and forms (e.g., expert interviews, literature reviews, surveys) and in this case featured a systematic literature review to understand the current state of knowledge of VR in alcohol education ( 22 ). While this information delivered a peer review evidence-based understanding of VR interventions for young people, data was outdated and it did not deliver understanding of the current possibilities that VR afforded.…”