Virtual Reality-Based Alcohol Prevention in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Prediger, Christina; Helmer, Stefanie M.; Hrynyschyn, Robert; Stock, Christiane

doi:10.3390/adolescents1020011

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(113 reference statements)

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“…The above-described properties of VR can be applied to the field of alcohol prevention because VR enables risky situations to be experienced in a safe environment (14). Currently, only a few VR-based examples of alcohol prevention for adolescents can be found in the scientific literature (15). One example is the Australian alcohol-prevention program Blurred Minds, which was developed as an innovative VR simulation training program for training young people's skills in dealing with peer pressure regarding alcohol (16).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study

Hrynyschyn

Prediger²,

Lyk³

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundExcessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem, with substance use early in life contributing to higher levels of use later in life. Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology for alcohol prevention among adolescents that could solve the problem of insufficient outreach to the target group of young people. The co-created German Virtual LimitLab simulation is one of the few examples of VR-based alcohol prevention tools and consists of a virtual house party simulation. The aims of Virtual LimitLab are to increase the users' awareness of how social pressure can influence their own decision-making as well as to enable various actions and communication strategies in order to train competencies when dealing with alcohol. The present study thus aims to explore adolescents' content- and technique-specific perceptions of Virtual LimitLab in order to gain insights into user experiences and to test the prototype with the German target group.MethodsFour semi-structured focus groups with adolescents aged 15–18 years (n = 13) were conducted and analyzed using thematic analyses. A user experience questionnaire (UEQ–S) was applied in order to quantitatively assess adolescents' satisfaction with Virtual LimitLab.ResultsThree main themes were identified (VR experience, content, and technical aspects). Participants positively assessed both the content and the technical aspects of Virtual LimitLab. This trend was also seen by the UEQ–S data, which yielded positive ratings for both pragmatic and hedonic quality. The broad variety of options in the simulation that allow the user to try new behaviors was perceived particularly positively. In general, Virtual LimitLab was regarded as an innovative tool that encourages adolescents to think critically about their personal alcohol consumption. Technical errors in the simulation and users' difficulties in identifying with the simulation were the main points of criticism.ConclusionsFeedback from adolescent users revealed positive and therefore promising results when using Virtual LimitLab as a gaming alcohol-prevention tool. Some technical aspects still need to be improved in order to further refine the prototype, and suggestions for expanding the content of the application have already been made.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study

Hrynyschyn

Prediger²,

Lyk³

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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“…By developing and testing a virtual reality simulation to train alcohol refusal self-efficacy, we entered new grounds in prevention research [ 21 , 29 ]. Our study evaluated the efficacy of the VR FestLab game aimed at improving refusal self-efficacy of adolescents who face social pressures to drink.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the area of VR simulations targeting alcohol prevention for adolescents, a recent review [ 29 ] identified only two studies besides the present authors’ VR FestLab that met the inclusion criteria. An American project exposed adolescents to a VR party including simulated substance use and sexual risk-taking cues and found an increase in physiological arousal among users [ 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of the Virtual Reality Intervention VR FestLab on Alcohol Refusal Self-Efficacy: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Guldager

Kjær

Grittner

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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It is currently unknown whether a virtual social environment can support young people in building their skills to overcome peer pressure when offered alcohol. This study evaluated the efficacy of the newly developed virtual reality simulation game VR FestLab on the refusal self-efficacy regarding social pressures to drink of Danish male and female students aged 15–18. VR FestLab features a party setting where adolescents can “steer” their own party experience. Eleven schools were included in a cluster-randomized controlled trial and allocated to either the intervention (n = 181) or the active control group (n = 191). Students in intervention schools played VR FestLab, while those in the control group played the VR game Oculus Quest—First Steps. The primary outcome measure was the social pressure subscale of the drinking refusal self-efficacy scale (DRSEQ-RA). The intervention effects were measured immediately after the intervention/control session (T1) and after a 6-week follow-up (T2). Data were examined using linear mixed regression models. Our study did not demonstrate a significant effect of drinking refusal self-efficacy at T1. For all secondary outcomes, we observed no substantial differences between the intervention and control groups. This study provides new insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of an innovative virtual reality alcohol prevention tool. VR FestLab can be an innovative and promising contribution to complement existing school-based alcohol prevention, but more research is needed to improve its effectiveness.

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“…The current study found both, patients and individuals from the reference group to resort to substance use as a means of coping, which underlines the need for preventive and educational measures on a societal scale. Adapting these measures to the current situation, as could be achieved by an implementation of digital strategies, is of major relevance ( 97 , 98 ). Further, efforts to develop treatment schemes that allow maintaining patients under professional attendance in difficult circumstances appear crucial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addiction in the time of COVID-19: Longitudinal course of substance use, psychological distress, and loneliness among a transnational Tyrolean sample with substance use disorders

et al. 2022

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IntroductionNext to an increased use of alcohol, the current pandemic has been associated with increased psychological distress among the general population. Research on its effects on individuals suffering from substance use disorders (SUD) is scarce. This study aimed at expanding the existing literature on this topic with a focus on the impact of loneliness and perceived social support.MethodsSixty-eight people diagnosed with SUD according to ICD-10 from the Austrian state of Tyrol and from the Italian Province of South Tyrol who had been treated in a psychiatric hospital in 2019 and one hundred and thirty-six matched reference subjects of the same regional background participated in an online survey. Sociodemographic variables and scores on the Brief Symptom Checklist, the Three-Item Loneliness Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were collected at baseline and 5 months thereafter. Baseline took place after the first wave, while follow-up largely coincided with the second wave of the pandemic.ResultsAmong both patients and the matched reference group, substance use as a means to feel better facing the pandemic rose and predicted higher levels of psychological distress. Patients were less likely to receive specific care at follow-up than at baseline and presented with a significantly higher prevalence of clinically relevant psychological distress and loneliness than the matched reference group at both assessment times. Among both groups, psychological burden remained unchanged over time. Perceived social support was generally significantly higher in the matched reference group than in patients. Loneliness and, to a lesser degree, low perceived social support predicted psychological distress.ConclusionThese findings emphasize the need of preventive and educational measures regarding substance use behavior for both individuals suffering from SUD and those without mental health disorders.

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Virtual Reality-Based Alcohol Prevention in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Cited by 8 publications

References 38 publications

Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study

Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study

Efficacy of the Virtual Reality Intervention VR FestLab on Alcohol Refusal Self-Efficacy: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Addiction in the time of COVID-19: Longitudinal course of substance use, psychological distress, and loneliness among a transnational Tyrolean sample with substance use disorders

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