JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Over the last two decades, Virtual Reality technology (VR) has been proposed as a way to enhance and improve smoking cessation therapy.

Objective:

This systematic review set out to evaluate and summarize current knowledge on the application of VR in various smoking cessation therapies, as well as to explore potential directions for future research and intervention development.

Methods:

A narrative systematic literature review was conducted on 50 papers that reported on smoking interventions with VR.

Results:

Not all intervention studies included an alternative therapy or placebo condition against which the effectiveness of the intervention could be benchmarked, or a follow up measure to ensure that the effects were lasting. VR Cue Exposure Therapy (VR-CET) was the most extensively studied intervention, but its effect on long-term smoking behavior is inconsistent at best. Behavioral therapies like a VR Approach-Avoidance task (VR-AAT) or gamified interventions were less common, but reported positive results. Notably, only one paper combined electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDS) with VR technologies.

Conclusions:

The inclusion of a behavioral component, as is done in the VR-AAT and gamified interventions, may be an interesting venue for future research on smoking interventions. Since ENDS are still the subject of much controversy, their potential for smoking cessation is yet unclear. For future research, behavioral or multi-component interventions seem promising venues of exploration. Moreover, it is recommended that at least one alternative or placebo intervention is included, and that follow up measures are incorporated.