JMIR XR and Spatial Computing (JMXR)

Opioid use disorder (OUD), which leads to thousands of deaths per year, continues to pose a tremendous challenge to health care systems. While medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs), such as buprenorphine and methadone, are the most effective treatments for OUD, the initial patient conversation and decision to engage in MOUDs remain major barriers. Decision-making is strongly influenced by the patients’ current emotional state. While the emergency department (ED) is a promising access point for initiating MOUDs, patients’ readiness to engage in treatment can be limited, in part, by the negative emotions and experiences associated with the ED visit.

Virtual reality therapeutics (VRx) are emerging as a form of digital therapeutics (DTx) with growing evidence for improving symptoms such as anxiety, pain, and distress. However, real-world adoption remains limited because successful use depends not only on the therapeutic benefits but also on how the intervention is introduced, supported, and integrated into care, in addition to the therapeutic benefits. Existing literature has identified barriers related to clinician familiarity, prescribing pathways, onboarding, and independent use outside the clinic, but few studies have experimentally evaluated how implementation strategies influence early adoption outcomes.

As virtual reality (VR) technology has become more accessible, the potential of this technology has been increasingly investigated in higher education institutions to improve teaching and learning. While VR can provide immersive experiences to support visualization and active learning, its adoption in health professions education is often limited by high costs, technical complexity, and a lack of pedagogical fit. Furthermore, the educator, who is critical to curriculum design, is underrepresented in the discourse on VR integration, especially in resource-constrained environments in South Africa.

The growing global mental health (MH) burden, especially in underresourced communities, calls for innovative, scalable, and culturally responsive training approaches to expand care access and improve outcomes. Task-sharing has shown promise in addressing workforce shortages but is limited by training and supervision challenges. Traditional methods, such as role-playing and standardized patients, are resource-intensive and less scalable. Virtual simulations, including augmented reality (AR), present novel opportunities for immersive and interactive training. An AR-assisted training tool can enable culturally sensitive training while fostering empathy, communication skills, and confidence in handling nuanced MH scenarios. However, AR’s usability and effectiveness for MH task-sharing training remain underexplored.

Virtual reality–based mindfulness interventions (VRbMIs) increasingly populate studies as scalable tools for stress and emotion regulation. However, findings across psychological outcomes are heterogeneous, and methodological variation in intervention design, outcome measurement, and reporting practices limits cross-study comparability and cumulative synthesis.

Anxiety-related symptoms are prevalent and can negatively affect concentration, motivation, and overall well-being. Traditional treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and medication work well for clinical anxiety disorders. However, individuals with anxiety often struggle with access, adherence, and staying engaged in treatment. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and gamification offer new opportunities to enhance user engagement and motivational processes within digital mental health applications.

Self-care plays an important role in improving health symptoms in patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as diabetes. Gamification is among the most effective methods for enhancing health monitoring by applying principles of behavioral economics and motivation.

The slit-lamp biomicroscope is a fundamental diagnostic tool in ophthalmology for detailed examination of the eye. Current camera-equipped digital slit lamps were designed with a single optical channel, which results in the loss of depth information. Without that information, it can be challenging to visualize subtle anatomical variations in teleophthalmology applications and perform procedures guided by the digital view.

Mindfulness has been shown to enhance emotional well-being and cognitive performance, yet much of this evidence stems from interventions requiring prolonged practice, making them time-consuming and less accessible. Recent studies suggest that brief mindfulness sessions may also yield positive outcomes, but the effectiveness of such interventions in virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) remains underexplored.

Youth mental health is a global public health priority, with rising rates of anxiety and depression, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the early onset and substantial burden of mental disorders in this age group, young people are less likely than adults to seek professional help and face barriers such as workforce shortages, stigma, and low mental health literacy. Although efforts such as outreach initiatives and school-based programs have been implemented, innovative and scalable solutions remain limited. Digital technologies, including the metaverse, may offer flexible and stigma-reducing approaches to mental health care; however, evidence regarding their real-world feasibility and acceptability is scarce.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent and characterized by high relapse rates. Individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) are more likely to develop SUDs and face barriers within treatment related to difficulties they experience with abstract thinking, verbal skills, and generalizing learned strategies to real-world contexts. Therefore, experiential, context-rich approaches are needed that reduce reliance on retrospective verbal reflection, support in-context identification of triggers, and allow the rehearsal of coping responses. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) may provide realistic, safe environments where patients with SUD and MBID can practice cognitive and behavioral skills with visual and practice-oriented materials.

Augmented reality (AR) can provide risk-free training for medical trainees, yet little is known about which learner characteristics facilitate adoption or inform training design.