A Bibliometric Study of the Evidence About Applying Virtual Reality in Mental Health Care
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) technology has gained much traction related to mental health owing to its interactive features and immersive nature. A systematic bibliometric evaluation is necessary to guide researchers in identifying emerging trends and research priorities in VR technology applications for mental health, highlighting evolving challenges and research needs.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the bibliometric characteristics and scope of evidence on the application of virtual reality in mental health care, synthesizing findings and exploring potential innovations.
METHODS: We conducted a bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace to examine 1333 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (from January 1, 1999, to February 14, 2025), retrieved via the search query TS=("Mental health" AND "Virtual reality"). The study mapped key research trends, including international and institutional collaboration networks, author co-citation networks, and the evolution of keyword co-occurrence to identify influential contributors, thematic clusters, and emerging developments in VR-based mental health research.
RESULTS: The analysis revealed three key findings: (1) Exponential publication growth starting in 2020 with over 110 annual publications; (2) Robust collaboration networks featuring 3587 authors with Riva, G. as a central figure and the University of London as the most prominent institutional hub; (3) Virtual reality, exposure therapy, skin conductance, mild…
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