Virtual Reality-interventies voor Angstvermindering bij Jeugdigen: Een Systematische Review

Abstract Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders worldwide in children and adolescents. The risk of developing an anxiety disorder during youth has increased in recent years. Having an anxiety disorder is associated with many negative outcomes, such as reduced quality of life and life satisfaction. Existing treatments for anxiety disorders may not be sufficient for all youth, which underscores the need for innovative forms of treatment, such as Virtual Reality (VR) interventions. This systematic review examined the extent to which VR interventions contribute to reducing anxiety symptoms in youth with an anxiety disorder. Using search terms developed according to the Population, Intervention, Comparison Outcome method, the databases SCOPUS and Web of Science and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology to visualize the flow of the study selection process, 20 studies published between 2015 and 2025 were included. Effect sizes were compared across the included studies, where reported. The results show that VR exposure therapy, VR one session treatment, gamified and interactive VR interventions significantly contributed to a reduction of anxiety symptoms among youth with an anxiety disorder in most of the included studies. The reported effect sizes were generally medium to large. Finally, the research question is answered and the findings of this systematic review are discussed in relation to other studies. The limitations of the current study are addressed, followed by recommendations for future research. Implications for practice are provided and a conclusion is drawn.