An Analysis of Digital Therapeutic Play and Virtual Reality Interventions for Reducing Pain and Anxiety in Pediatric Inpatients

Abstract

Pediatric hospitalization is associated with significant psychosocial distress, including anxiety, fear, and developmental disruption. Traditional therapeutic play and child life services are effective but inconsistently available due to staffing, infection control, and resource limitations. Digital therapeutic play platforms, particularly virtual reality (VR), have emerged as promising alternatives. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of digital therapeutic play interventions on pediatric pain and anxiety outcomes in hospital settings. A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar was conducted for studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and systematic reviews evaluating VR or digital therapeutic interventions in pediatric inpatient populations. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled effect sizes. A total of 20 studies involving over 3,500 pediatric patients were included. Digital therapeutic interventions significantly reduced procedural pain (Effect Size = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.63–0.80) and anxiety (Effect Size = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.59–0.76). Subgroup analyses showed stronger effects in immersive VR interventions and procedural settings particularly in the venipuncture, and surgery preparation. Digital therapeutic play platforms, mainly VR, are effective, scalable, and clinically meaningful tools for reducing pediatric distress. These findings support integrating VR into child life services to enhance psychosocial care delivery in pediatric hospitals.

Keywords: Virtual reality, hospitalization, pediatric anxiety, therapeutic play, digital health, procedural pain, pediatric distress, psychosocial care, inpatients, systematic review, meta-analysis

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/121-04

Publication date: September 30th 2026