Exploring Virtual Reality Art Interventions for Mental Health among University Students: A Bibliometric Analysis (2014–2024)

Ali, Q., Heldal, I., & Helgesen, C. G. (2022). A Bibliometric Analysis of Virtual Reality-Aided Vision Therapy. In J. Mantas, P. Gallos, E. Zoulias, A. Hasman, M. S. Househ, M. Diomidous, J. Liaskos, & M. Charalampidou (Eds.), Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI220781
Bell, I. H., Pot-Kolder, R., Rizzo, A., Rus-Calafell, M., Cardi, V., Cella, M., Ward, T., Riches, S., Reinoso, M., Thompson, A., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., & Valmaggia, L. (2024). Advances in the use of virtual reality to treat mental health conditions. Nature Reviews Psychology, 3(8), 552–567. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-024-00334-9
Biercewicz, K., W?odarczyk, K., & Wi?cicka-Fernando, M. (2024). Studying Consumer Emotions and Purchase Preferences in a Virtual Reality Environment: A Bibliometric Analysis. Marketing of Scientific and Research Organizations, 52(2), 105–128. https://doi.org/10.2478/minib-2024-0012
Botella, C., Fernández-Álvarez, J., Guillén, V., García-Palacios, A., & Baños, R. (2017). Recent Progress in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Phobias: A Systematic Review. Current Psychiatry Reports, 19(7), 42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4
Browning, M. H. E. M., Shin, S., Drong, G., McAnirlin, O., Gagnon, R. J., Ranganathan, S., Sindelar, K., Hoptman, D., Bratman, G. N., Yuan, S., Prabhu, V. G., & Heller, W. (2023). Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces symptoms of anxiety in college students. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28070-9
Cheng, C., Elamin, M. E., May, H., & Kennedy, M. (2023). Drawing on emotions: The evolving role of art therapy. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 40(3), 500–502. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2021.20
Dong, B., Zou, Z., Song, Y., Hu, P., Luo, D., Wen, B., Gao, D., Wang, X., Yang, Z., Ma, Y., Ma, J., Narayan, A., Huang, X., Tian, X., & Patton, G. C. (2020). Adolescent Health and Healthy China 2030: A Review. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(5), S24–S31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.07.023
Du, S.-C., Li, C.-Y., Lo, Y.-Y., Hu, Y.-H., Hsu, C.-W., Cheng, C.-Y., Chen, T.-T., Hung, P.-H., Lin, P.-Y., & Chen, C.-R. (2024). Effects of Visual Art Therapy on Positive Symptoms, Negative Symptoms, and Emotions in Individuals with Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 12(11), 1156. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12111156
Erd?s, S., & Horváth, K. (2023). The Impact of Virtual Reality (VR) on Psychological and Physiological Variables in Children Receiving Chemotherapy: A Pilot Cross-Over Study. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 22, 153473542311689. https://doi.org/10.1177/15347354231168984
Fan, L., Yu, C., & Shi, Y. (2019). Guided social sharing of emotions through drawing art therapy: Generation of deep emotional expression and helpful emotional responses. Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium of Chinese CHI, 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1145/3332169.3333571
Frost, S., Kannis-Dymand, L., Schaffer, V., Millear, P., Allen, A., Stallman, H., Mason, J., Wood, A., & Atkinson-Nolte, J. (2022). Virtual immersion in nature and psychological well-being: A systematic literature review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 80, 101765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101765
Gill, A. S., Irwin, D. S., Mareta, S., Towey, D., Wang, A., & Zhang, Y. (2022). A Pilot Study Investigating Student Interaction Preferences in Immersive Virtual Reality Environments. 2022 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 133–140. https://doi.org/10.1109/TALE54877.2022.00029
Hacmun, I., Regev, D., & Salomon, R. (2021). Artistic creation in virtual reality for art therapy: A qualitative study with expert art therapists. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 72, 101745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2020.101745
Hadjipanayi, C., Banakou, D., & Michael-Grigoriou, D. (2023). Art as therapy in virtual reality: A scoping review. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 4, 1065863. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1065863
Haeyen, S., & Noorthoorn, E. (2021). Validity of the Self-Expression and Emotion Regulation in Art Therapy Scale (SERATS). PLOS ONE, 16(3), e0248315. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248315
Homavandi, H., Kashani, M. M., & Batooli, Z. (2024). Bibliometric and Subject Analysis of 100 Most-Cited Articles in the Field of Art Therapy. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 19(3), 406–421. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2023.2250248
Jingili, N., Oyelere, S. S., Ojwang, F., Agbo, F. J., & Nyström, M. B. T. (2023). Virtual Reality for Addressing Depression and Anxiety: A Bibliometric Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(9), 5621. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20095621
Kaimal, G., Carroll-Haskins, K., Berberian, M., Dougherty, A., Carlton, N., & Ramakrishnan, A. (2020). Virtual Reality in Art Therapy: A Pilot Qualitative Study of the Novel Medium and Implications for Practice. Art Therapy, 37(1), 16–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2019.1659662
Kim, J., Hwang, J.-I., & Lee, J. (2022). VR Color Picker: Three-Dimensional Color Selection Interfaces. IEEE Access, 10, 65809–65824. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3184330
Kuc-Czarnecka, M., & Olczyk, M. (2020). How ethics combine with big data: A bibliometric analysis. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 137. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00638-0
Kusumawati, Y. A., Putu Anggie Michaelia, N., & Sidharta, S. (2023). Mobile Application-Based Psychological to Improve College Student Mental Health. 2023 International Conference on Informatics, Multimedia, Cyber and Informations System (ICIMCIS), 508–513. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIMCIS60089.2023.10349067
Lányi, C. S. (2006). Virtual Reality in Healthcare. In N. Ichalkaranje, A. Ichalkaranje, & L. C. Jain (Eds.), Intelligent Paradigms for Assistive and Preventive Healthcare (Vol. 19, pp. 87–116). Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/11418337_3
Lattie, E. G., Adkins, E. C., Winquist, N., Stiles-Shields, C., Wafford, Q. E., & Graham, A. K. (2019). Digital Mental Health Interventions for Depression, Anxiety, and Enhancement of Psychological Well-Being Among College Students: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(7), e12869. https://doi.org/10.2196/12869
Li, G., Sit, H. F., Chen, W., Wu, K., Sou, E. K. L., Wong, M., Chen, Z., Burchert, S., Hong, I. W., Sit, H. Y., Lam, A. I. F., & Hall, B. J. (2024). A WHO digital intervention to address depression among young Chinese adults: A type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial. Translational Psychiatry, 14(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02812-3
Lindner, P. (2021). Better, Virtually: The Past, Present, and Future of Virtual Reality Cognitive Behavior Therapy. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 14(1), 23–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41811-020-00090-7
Lith, T. V. (2016). Art therapy in mental health: A systematic review of approaches and practices. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 14.
Liu, Z., Yang, Z., Xiao, C., Zhang, K., & Osmani, M. (2022). An Investigation into Art Therapy Aided Health and Well-Being Research: A 75-Year Bibliometric Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010232
Lobban, J., & Murphy, D. (2020). Military museum collections and art therapy as mental health resources for veterans with PTSD. International Journal of Art Therapy, 25(4), 172–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845220
McAnally, K., & Wallis, G. (2023). Effects of Auditory Feedback on Visually-Guided Movement in Real and Virtual Space. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2216091
Mejia-Puig, L., & Chandrasekera, T. (2022). The virtual body in a design exercise: A conceptual framework for embodied cognition. International Journal of Technology and Design Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-022-09793-8
Owens, M., & Bunce, H. (2023). The effect of brief exposure to virtual nature on mental wellbeing in adolescents. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 17769. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44717-z
Riches, S., Kaleva, I., Nicholson, S. L., Payne-Gill, J., Steer, N., Azevedo, L., Vasile, R., Rumball, F., Fisher, H. L., Veling, W., & Valmaggia, L. (2024). Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-024-00394-x
Shi, Y., Lu, Y., Liu, L., & Liu, E. (2024). Virtual reality painting: A structured review of a decade of innovation. Metaverse, 5(1), 2546. https://doi.org/10.54517/m.v5i1.2546
Solmaz, S., Gerling, K., Kester, L., & Van Gerven, T. (2024). Behavioral intention, perception and user assessment in an immersive virtual reality environment with CFD simulations. Virtual Reality, 28(2), 88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-00985-2
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O’Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., Hempel, S., Akl, E. A., Chang, C., McGowan, J., Stewart, L., Hartling, L., Aldcroft, A., Wilson, M. G., Garritty, C., … Straus, S. E. (2018). PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
Wang, P.-G., Ali, N. M., & Sarker, M. R. (2024). A Bibliometric Analysis Exploring the Acceptance of Virtual Reality among Older Adults: A Review. Computers, 13(10), 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13100262
Wiebe, A., Kannen, K., Selaskowski, B., Mehren, A., Thöne, A.-K., Pramme, L., Blumenthal, N., Li, M., Asché, L., Jonas, S., Bey, K., Schulze, M., Steffens, M., Pensel, M. C., Guth, M., Rohlfsen, F., Ekhlas, M., Lügering, H., Fileccia, H., … Braun, N. (2022). Virtual reality in the diagnostic and therapy for mental disorders: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 98, 102213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102213
Yang, P. (2024). Virtual reality tools to support music students to cope with anxiety and overcome stress. Education and Information Technologies, 29(13), 16525–16540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12464-x
Yang, X., Cheng, P.-Y., Liu, X., & Shih, S.-P. (2023). The impact of immersive virtual reality on art education: A study of flow state, cognitive load, brain state, and motivation. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12041-8
Yang, X., Gebbing, P., Lankut, E., & Lattemann, C. (2023). Virtual Creativity – Bibliometric Literature Review on Measurements and Factors That Influence Creative Virtual Teamwork. Creativity Research Journal, 35(4), 568–582. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2023.2198300
Zhang, X. (2022). Problems and Countermeasures of College Students’ Mental Health Education. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2022, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6430855
Zhao, X., Ren, Y., & Cheah, K. S. L. (2023). Leading Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in Education: Bibliometric and Content Analysis From the Web of Science (2018–2022). Sage Open, 13(3), 21582440231190821. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231190821
Zuo, G., Wang, R., Wan, C., Zhang, Z., Zhang, S., & Yang, W. (2024). Unveiling the Evolution of Virtual Reality in Medicine: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Hotspots and Trends over the Past 12 Years. Healthcare, 12(13), 1266. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131266

Huang, L., Guan, D. X., & Sabran, K. (2025). Exploring Virtual Reality Art Interventions for Mental Health among University Students: A Bibliometric Analysis (2014–2024). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(2), 304–322.

Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode