{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T16:55:05Z","timestamp":1790787305008,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,1]],"date-time":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1635724800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["American Journal of Occupational Therapy"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Importance:<\/jats:bold>\n                    Virtual reality in head-mounted displays (HMD-VR) may be a valuable tool in occupational therapy to address anxiety. Findings from the virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) literature may facilitate translation of HMD-VR to occupational therapy psychosocial practice.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Objective:<\/jats:bold>\n                    To explore how HMD-VR has been used to treat anxiety through VRET and could be translated to occupational therapy.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Data Sources:<\/jats:bold>\n                    We searched seven electronic databases for articles published between 2000 and 2020: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, ERIC, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Search terms included HMD-VR constructs, products, and therapy concepts.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Study Selection and Data Collection:<\/jats:bold>\n                    We used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to report studies implementing VRET to treat anxiety. At least two reviewers assessed each citation, and a third resolved disagreements. Articles were included if they were in English, reported experimental data, and used HMD-VR. Letters, commentaries, book chapters, technical descriptions, theoretical papers, conference proceedings (\u22644 pages), and reviews were excluded.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Findings:<\/jats:bold>\n                    Twenty-eight studies used HMD-VR to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 3), specific phobias (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 19), and performance-based social anxiety (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 6); protocols and levels of evidence varied (randomized controlled trials,\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 11; controlled trials without randomization,\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 6; case\u2013control or cohort studies,\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 11). Qualitative examination indicates HMD-VR is an effective treatment tool.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Conclusions and Relevance:<\/jats:bold>\n                    HMD-VR can be a valuable tool for occupational therapy to simulate environments where clients with anxiety disorders participate. Eliciting presence through multisensory features and body representation may enhance outcomes.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>What This Article Adds:<\/jats:bold>\n                    Drawing from the VRET literature, this scoping review suggests that HMD-VR can be used by occupational therapy practitioners to simulate ecologically valid environments, evaluate client responses to fearful stimuli, and remediate anxiety though immersion in virtual tasks when participation in natural contexts is unfeasible. Having ecologically valid environments is particularly important for people with anxiety disorders because they need support to cope when they encounter triggers in everyday life environments.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5014\/ajot.2021.046169","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,24]],"date-time":"2021-11-24T08:57:16Z","timestamp":1637744236000},"page":"1117-1137","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":60,"title":["Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"75","author":[{"given":"Miranda R.","family":"Donnelly","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Miranda R. Donnelly, MS, OTR\/L, is PhD Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renee","family":"Reinberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Renee Reinberg, MA, was Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, at the time of the study."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaori L.","family":"Ito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kaori L. Ito, PhD, OTR\/L, is Research Scientist, Gilead Science, Foster City, CA. At the time of the study, Ito was PhD Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Saldana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"David Saldana, MA, OTR\/L, is Occupational Therapist, Beverly Hospital, Montebello, CA. At the time of the study, Saldana was Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meghan","family":"Neureither","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Meghan Neureither, OTD, OTR\/L, is Occupational Therapist, East Valley SELPA, San Bernardino, CA. At the time of the study, Neureither was Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Allie","family":"Schmiesing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Allie Schmiesing, OTD, OTR\/L, CLT, is Occupational Therapist, Stanford Healthcare, Palo Alto, CA. At the time of the study, Schmiesing was Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Esther","family":"Jahng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Esther Jahng, MA, OTR\/L, is Student, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sook-Lei","family":"Liew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Miranda R. 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