Virtual Reality in Therapeutic Interventions: Current Trends

Description

Abhir Singh¹ and Phaguni² (The International School Bangalore, Karnataka¹ and Teaching Associate, Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh²)

Virtual reality therapy (VRT) is one of the most innovative treatments in the clinical field today, as it uses immersive, computer-simulated worlds to reimagine psychological treatment, rehabilitation, and education. The current systematic review has set out to collect voluntary evidence on VRT’s application in mental health, neurodevelopmental and neurological rehabilitation, physiotherapy, dentistry, and epilepsy. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to identify existing research on the use of VR in various rehabilitation contexts and various therapeutic approaches. The results indicate that VRT provides accurate, tailored, and interactive therapeutic scenarios and is effective in treating anxiety disorders, phobias, PTSD, and to a lesser extent, depression, cognitive impairments, and social dysfunctions. In addition, VRT improves ADHD and autism by enhancing focus and sociability, aids in neurological and physical rehabilitation, and is being adopted in dental and epilepsy care. Despite challenges such as motion sickness and technology costs, the VRT offers a safe, adaptable, and often superior alternative to traditional therapies, with the potential to revolutionize clinical practice as research and standardization advance.