The Role of Virtual Reality as a Psychological Intervention for Mental Health Disturbances during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the world and created many problems. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in mortality and morbidity, including mental health prob-lems. Around the world, the movement control order (MCO) was strictly enforced, but the spread of the infection epidemic was still rampant. The magnitude of the increase in mental health illnesses has caused many individuals to suffer. Given that face-to-face interventions are challenging to carry out during an outbreak, we need to address this critical problem through an online approach, such as virtual reality (VR). This approach is vital to helping patients deal with their existing problems in more pragmatic, practical, and customer-friendly ways. Thus, in the present review, we proposed the development of a virtual digital device for this noble purpose. Various challenges, improve-ments, and expectations for VR applications were outlined and discussed in this narrative review.