The effects of virtual reality interventions on depression and anxiety in older adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to systematically evaluate, through a meta-analysis, the effects of Virtual Reality (VR) interventions on depression and anxiety levels among older adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore variations in the effectiveness of VR interventions under different conditions.

Method: Databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched. Studies were screened according to predefined inclusion criteria, and data on study characteristics and intervention outcomes were extracted. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the appropriate risk of bias tools, and meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.4.1 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software.

Results: A total of 12 studies involving 724 older adults aged 60 years and above were included. Compared with control conditions, VR interventions significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety among older adults. Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated that fully immersive VR was associated with a more pronounced pooled effect than semi- and low-immersive VR. Both shorter (<6 weeks) and longer (≥6 weeks) VR interventions were associated with significant improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms, with no statistically significant difference between the duration subgroups.

Conclusion: During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, VR interventions may represent a promising complementary non-pharmacological approach for improving depressive and anxiety symptoms among older adults. Exploratory findings suggest that immersion level may contribute to variability in intervention effects; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the limited available evidence. Further high-quality, large-sample randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to clarify the potential influence of intervention characteristics on VR efficacy.