Effectiveness of Virtual Reality interventions for aggression, anger and impulsiveness : A multilevel meta-analysis

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Abstract

Interventions based on Virtual Reality (VR) appear to be a promising option for the treatment of aggression, enabling the creation of immersive simulations for individuals to learn and practice strategies in a controlled and supervised environment. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of VR interventions in reducing anger, aggression and impulsiveness. A systematic search produced eleven valid articles for a meta-analysis consisting of a total sample of 479 participants aged 26.37 ± 18.5, of whom 88.1 % were men. The study found a statistically significant reduction in observer reported aggression (g = −0.27; p = 0.029), self-reported aggression (g = −0.47; p < 0.001), anger (g = −0.74; p = 0.005) and impulsiveness (g = −0.47; p < 0.001). Regarding the possible improvement over conventional therapies or waiting list control groups, the weighted mean difference analysis revealed a significant overall effect favouring VR intervention over the control groups (g = −1.05; p = 0.003), although specific analysis for the different outcomes could not be conducted due to the limited number of studies reporting control group data. These results suggest that the use of VR can be effective in reducing aggression, anger and impulsiveness. Differences in effectiveness may be partially explained by the heterogeneity of the interventions and study samples. The possible biases of the selected studies and the limitations of the meta-analysis itself are considered. Future research may use these findings to optimise the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions using VR.