Virtual Reality and Metaverse in the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The rapidly increasing technological advancements such as virtual reality tools, which are becoming a part of our daily lives, provide opportunities to receive better services in many fields, including the field of mental health. Studies have investigated how virtual reality and the metaverse can be integrated into the treatment of mental health issues, particularly in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, as this is an emerging field that is still under research, there is a need for more studies to focus on different ways to integrate those tools to minimize the potential disadvantages. Especially, few applications currently exist for metaverse usage in mental health. This review aims to present studies on the usage of virtual reality tools in the treatment of PTSD, provide suggestions on how metaverse can be integrated in the treatment protocols and finally put a light on the possible disadvantages that could come with it.