Virtual Reality as an Interactive Tool for the Implementation of Mindfulness in University Settings: A Systematic Review
Paula Puente-Torre, Vanesa Delgado Benito, Sonia Rodríguez Cano, Miguel Ángel García-Delgado
Multimodal Technologies and Interaction October 11, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/mti8100089 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | University students |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Virtual reality Human–computer interaction Psychotherapist Engineering ethics Applied psychology |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Virtual Reality as a tool for implementing Mindfulness techniques is effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and stress among university students. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Brief Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality Mindfulness Breathing Exercise for Emotional Well-Being and Cognitive Functions in University Students: Within-Subjects Experimental Design Study JMIR XR and spatial computing March 25, 2026
- Pre–Post Changes Associated with Virtual Reality-Based Mindfulness in Reducing Work-Related Stress Among Corporate Employees Digital April 25, 2026
Cites 8
- The Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Mindfulness Exercises on the Perception of Time, Psychological and Physiological States of Young People: A Randomized Crossover Trial Mindfulness September 1, 2024
- Effects of a mindfulness-based program on the occupational balance and mental health of university students. Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One May 2, 2024
- Brief Virtual Reality Mindfulness is More Effective than Audio Mindfulness and Colouring in Reducing Stress in University Students Mindfulness February 1, 2024
- Immersive virtual reality or computerised mindfulness meditation for improving mood? Preliminary efficacy from a pilot randomised trial. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- The impact of virtual reality meditation on college students’ exam performance Smart Learning Environments October 16, 2021
and 3 more in the library