Virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of anxiety disorders: An evaluation of research quality

• We review the reported research quality of 27 randomized controlled trials of virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders.
• The ratings of research quality was generally low with studies meeting an average of only 2.9 out of 8 research design criteria.
• A reduction in effect size magnitude was observed for studies with larger samples in studies comparing VRET to non-active control groups.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) support the effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) for anxiety disorders; however, the overall quality of the VRET RCT literature base has yet to be evaluated. This study reviewed 27 VRET RCTs and the degree of adherence to 8 RCT research design criteria derived from existing standards. Adherence to the study quality criteria was generally low as the articles met an average 2.85 criteria (SD = 1.56). None of the studies met more than six quality criteria. Study quality did not predict effect size; however, a reduction in effect size magnitude was observed for studies with larger sample sizes when comparing VRET to non-active control groups. VRET may be an effective method of treatment but caution should be exercised in interpreting the existing body of literature supporting VRET relative to existing standards of care. The need for well-designed VRET research is discussed.