Therapeutic Factors in Virtual Reality Art Therapy: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis

This study aims to explore the therapeutic factors in Virtual Reality (VR) art therapy. We conducted a qual-itative meta-analysis of primary studies on VR art therapy published over the past 10 years (2014-2024), sourced from the KCI, Scopus, and SSCI databases. Six qualitative studies that met our inclusion criteria, published between 2020 and 2023, were analyzed using the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) framework. The analysis revealed that VR art therapy actively utilizes therapeutic factors associated with the kinesthetic, perceptual, and cognitive components of the ETC, while factors related to the affective and symbolic components were less evident. These findings allow us to discuss the implications for art therapy practice and future directions, highlighting the therapeutic factors in VR art therapy. The significance of this study lies in its systematic synthesis and comparative analysis of qualitative findings from existing VR art therapy research. This approach integrates therapeutic factors within the ETC framework and provides a foundation for the practical application of VR art therapy in clinical settings and future research.