Where do we stand? An overview of reviews regarding the current status of virtual reality applications in alcohol use disorder

The current overview of reviews aims to evaluate the progress of VR use in AUD, emphasizing its present status in terms of assessment and treatment applications. Methods. The literature search was conducted using terms like “virtual reality” and “alcohol”, “substance”, “addiction”, or “addictive” on databases such as Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. Results. Seven narrative and systematic reviews published between 2014 and 2021 were identified as targeting the use of VR in addictive behaviors including AUD. In total, 33 studies targeted the use of the VR technology in AUD, although 18 studies were duplicated in the reviews. Overall, the two main applications of VR in AUD were: 1) assessment (mainly using VR-based cue-exposure paradigm targeting craving elicitation during exposure to alcohol-related cues and contexts), and 2) treatment [generally VR-cue exposure therapy (VR-CET) to reduce responses (e.g. craving) to alcohol-related cues and contexts]. In all studies, VR was successfully implemented as an assessment or treatment approach (and outweighed control conditions). Discussion. The reviews emphasize that VR is an ecologically valid instrument in AUD and is a better alternative to traditional cue-exposure techniques due to its technical features. Limitations and future research directions regarding the use of VR in AUD are discussed.