Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Treatment for Behavioural Addictions: A Scoping Review Protocol

: Background: Help-seeking among people who have behavioural addictions is low due to multiple factors including accessibility and stigma. Making treatment resources for behavioural addictions available through the internet is one way to reduce the impact of these factors. The use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to address addictive behaviours such as substance use disorders and gambling disorders has been growing. However, little has been done to explore the use of VR and AR in the treatment of other behavioural addictions. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of existing literature on VR and AR interventions for behavioural addictions. Methods: This scoping review will be conducted based on the framework first proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, later refined by Levac et al., and further outlined in the JBI Manual for Evidence. The literature will be searched in the following databases: CINAHL, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed and Web of Science, with Google Scholar complementing the search. Studies will be screened by two independent reviewers based on inclusion criteria; discrepancies will be resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be extracted in a data extraction table and presented through a conceptual analysis as a narrative summary. Discussion: The findings of this scoping review will be beneficial to researchers and practitioners who are interested in exploring the use of VR/AR to deliver treatment for behavioural addictions.