Still looking for new ways of promoting children’s mental health education through digital technologies: a systematic review

Purpose Digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), show a great promise to promote children’s mental health education (MHE) at schools, and it has recently sparked much research interest. Although there are few reviews related to the applications of AI and VR in MHE for children in school settings. This study aims to explore the identified factors, understandings, effectiveness and ethical considerations of these digital technologies. Design/methodology/approach The authors searched five databases, namely, ScienceDirect, ERIC, SAGE, JSTOR and Web of Science and identified 1,250 peer-reviewed papers published between January 2020 and March 2025. In total, 96 full text papers were examined and ultimately 14 full texts include. Findings The review results indicate that factors affecting the schoolchildren’s mental health include academic pressure, domestic violence, financial insecurity, social isolation and exposure to digital media. The AI and VR interventions are more effective than traditional methods in certain cases, such as traditional role-playing methods and the face-to-face group counseling, particularly in real-time response and providing personalized and immersive experiences. These digital technologies can better engage students and offer realistic scenarios, as well as safe environments for practicing coping skills. To ensure the ethical application of AI and VR in a school setting, the authors suggest that school should ensure data privacy and security and conduct transparent technology assessments. Feedback mechanisms should be created for timely adjustments and improvements. Originality/value This paper provides insights into the current research trends related AI and VR, which can also serve as an essential reference for school managers and teachers in MHE.