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This narrative review presents recent developments in virtual reality (VR)-based interventions for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The latest advances in mental healthcare hail an imminent cyber revolution, ushering in novel treatment options, with immersive virtual technology at the very forefront of expected change. With an aim to (a) provide a background on VR use in mental healthcare of AUD patients, (b) summarize existing evidence on conventional approaches to the treatment of AUDs and a trending paradigm shift towards VR applications in their management, and (c) describe key issues and future directions in research on craving assessment and VR cue-induced therapy in AUDs, a search for experimental and meta-analytic evidence was performed in six databases: PubMed and EBSCO (Medline, ERIC, PsychINFO, Academic Search Ultimate, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition). Pooled results were screened for eligibility, and relevant papers were selected for inclusion. The analysis revealed VR’s promising effects in the treatment of AUDs. Its remarkable potential to simulate cues underlying subsequent addictive behaviors makes its application in the assessment and treatment of AUDs an attractive alternative to researchers and clinicians alike. Nevertheless, more evidence is needed before virtual reality cue exposure therapy (VR-CET) can become a clinical standard of care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put an unusual strain on medical staff across the globe. Psychiatric disorders and their effect on patients’ behavior turn the management of coronavirus disease into an even more of a challenging task. In this paper we present a case report of a COVID-19-positive patient suffering from organic mental disorders and alcohol dependence syndrome, thus shedding some light on a perspective of mental health professionals working in a psychiatric hospital setting, transformed into an infectious diseases unit designated solely to cover treatment of SARS-COV-2 infected patients with mental disorders, on problems and issues arising during provision of immediate healthcare in psychiatry departments in today’s pandemic-stricken world. We believe that our experience from such an endeavor could prove invaluable for other mental health specialists and therefore sharing it seems especially timely and valid.