ABSTRACT
In this reporting period, year 5 of the project, the major milestones met included obtaining renewal from the responsible local Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Human Research Protections Office (HRPO) and the DSMB. No new patients were enrolled in year 5 with a total of 33 patients randomized to date. Azevan received a 3 month extension in order to lock database, unblind, and perform analyses.
ABSTRACT
Widespread disasters, such as hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and viral outbreaks, represent a unique class of stressors that increase the demand for mental health care but also limit access to services. During the course of COVID-19, an unprecedented global pandemic, the detrimental effects of fear, uncertainty, and social isolation have particularly strained existing structures for psychological care. Virtual reality (VR) represents a promising means to address this still-growing need. Although VR has been applied in medical settings for decades, no existing literature has synthesized the strength of empirical support for VR's acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy in the context of disaster mental health. In an attempt to fill this urgent need, the present systematic review summarizes the findings of 21 diverse studies of VR as a tool for disaster-related psychological resilience training, psychological first aid, or counseling. With an eye toward VR's potential utility to address the incredible need for services created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we offer recommendations for key future directions and methodological considerations in the context of disaster mental health.