Neurobiological Mechanisms, Clinical Validity, and Real-World Implementation of Metaverse-Based Counseling for Adolescents through a School-Linked Mental Health Center
10.22802/jksbtp.2026.32.1.1
- Author:
Sang Hyun BAEK
1
;
Tae Young CHOI
;
Jung Yeon MOON
;
Hyang Hee JEONG
;
Yun Kyong JEONG
;
Se Jun PARK
;
Jong Young EUN
;
Eun Young JIN
;
So Yeong YUK
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu, Korea
- Publication Type:Reviews
- From:
Journal of the Korean Society of Biological Therapies in Psychiatry
2026;32(1):1-13
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Metaverse-based mental health interventions have recently emerged as an extension of telepsychiatry, digital therapeutics (DTx), and virtual reality (VR)–based treatments for children and adolescents. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote psychological assessment and intervention, raising critical questions regarding their clinical validity, developmental appropriateness, and long-term applicability in youth populations. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that remote assessments and internet-based interventions can achieve clinical outcomes comparable to face-to-face approaches in selected domains, particularly anxiety, depression, and social communication difficulties. In parallel, immersive technologies such as VR and metaverse-based platforms have been applied to exposure-based interventions, social skills training, and emotion regulation in controlled and repeatable environments. This narrative review examined 48 empirical and review studies on telepsychiatry, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, DTx, VR, and metaverse-based interventions for children and adolescents. Neurobiological mechanisms relevant to fear extinction, executive function, emotion regulation, and social cognition were critically reviewed. In addition, real-world implementation experiences from a hospital-based Wee Center in Korea were integrated to evaluate feasibility within school-linked mental health services. The findings suggested that metaverse-based counseling should not be conceptualized as a stand-alone replacement for face-to-face treatment, but rather as a complementary, hybrid platform linking remote screening, structured digital intervention, and in-person clinical care. While current evidence supported feasibility and conditional clinical utility, further longitudinal, controlled, and cost-effectiveness studies were required to establish its role in pediatric mental health.
