Virtual Reality as an Interactive Tool for the Implementation of Mindfulness in University Settings: A Systematic Review

A systematic review of fourteen studies found that using Virtual Reality to deliver Mindfulness techniques is effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and stress among university students. The review searched Web of Science and Scopus for primary research published between 2010 and 2024, initially identifying 78 studies. All analyzed research showed substantial improvement in quality of life, mental health, and life satisfaction. The authors argue that Virtual Reality helps overcome difficulties in practicing Mindfulness in the university population.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Over the last few years, the importance of Mindfulness in the field of research has grown exponentially, as it has demonstrated various benefits in improving mental health, although there are still various difficulties in putting these techniques into practice among the university population. However, Virtual Reality is emerging as a tool to improve the implementation of these techniques. For this reason, a systematic review was carried out of the different studies that aim to analyze the impact of the use of Virtual Reality for the implementation of Mindfulness techniques that contribute to the improvement of mental health among the university population at national and international levels. For this review, different international reference databases were searched, such as Web of Science and Scopus, and all selected articles had to be published in the period between 2010 and 2024. The selected publications had to be primary research involving a Mindfulness intervention, carried out among university students, and whose main tool for its implementation was Virtual Reality. A total of seventy-eight studies were initially identified, from which fourteen were selected, as the rest did not meet the inclusion criteria. In sum, the results show that the use of Virtual Reality as a tool for the implementation of Mindfulness techniques is certainly effective in reducing and mitigating high levels of anxiety, depression, and stress among university students. All of the research analyzed shows a substantial improvement in the quality of life, mental health, and life satisfaction of the participants.