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.

Objectives: The Ministry of Education in South Korea conducts an annual Student Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics Test to facilitate early identification and intervention for mental health issues among adolescents. Students who exceed the screening cut-off undergo a secondary in-depth evaluation. In response to the increasing use of remote services following the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aimed to compare satisfaction and perceived reliability of face-to-face and remote formats of the secondary evaluation as reported by school personnel responsible for conducting the assessments. Methods: A total of 94 school personnel who oversaw the 2023 secondary evaluations in a metropolitan area participated in an anonymous online survey. The survey assessed their satisfaction with the evaluation period, perceived reliability of the evaluation process, and perceived reliability of the written reports. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on their experience with and preference for each evaluation format. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare differences between groups. Results: No significant differences were found between the face-to-face and remote groups in satisfaction with the evaluation period or the reliability of the written results. However, the face-to-face format was perceived as significantly more reliable in terms of the evaluation process itself. Among participants who had experience with both formats, the face-to-face format continued to receive higher reliability ratings, particularly among those who preferred face-to-face assessments. In contrast, those who preferred remote assessments showed no significant differences regardless of the format used. Conclusions Although some counselors express concern about the reliability of remote assessments, the findings suggest that remote formats can yield comparable results to face-to-face evaluations in terms of satisfaction and outcome reliability. While remote assessments may not fully replace in-person interactions, they can serve as a valid and efficient alternative, particularly for large-scale mental health screenings in school settings. Expanding the use of structured remote evaluations may enhance accessibility and responsiveness in school-based mental health services.

In May 2023, the Committee of Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Korean Diabetes Association published the revised clinical practice guidelines for Korean adults with diabetes and prediabetes. We incorporated the latest clinical research findings through a comprehensive systematic literature review and applied them in a manner suitable for the Korean population. These guidelines are designed for all healthcare providers nationwide, including physicians, diabetes experts, and certified diabetes educators who manage patients with diabetes or individuals at risk of developing diabetes. Based on recent changes in international guidelines and the results of a Korean epidemiological study, the recommended age for diabetes screening has been lowered. In collaboration with the relevant Korean medical societies, recently revised guidelines for managing hypertension and dyslipidemia in patients with diabetes have been incorporated into this guideline. An abridgment containing practical information on patient education and systematic management in the clinic was published separately.