StressNCT05517148
Effects of an Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention Combined With Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
A study testing Therapeutic VR in people with Stress and COVID-19 Pandemic, run by Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine at 2 sites in China.
Trial summary
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a widely used method to improve mental state and sleep quality, was developed by Kabat-Zinn in 1970. The meditation of MBSR is effective in regulating patients' emotions, leading to reduced stress, pain, and psychological symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress, COVID-19 Pandemic, Nurse's Role
- What is being tested?
- Therapeutic VR
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesChina
- Study dates
- 25 Sep 2022to 30 Jan 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Registered nurses (RNs) working in target departments, working in target departments, including. The target departments mainly included internal medicine, surgical, emergency department, were included in this study. These nurses had direct contact with COVID-19 patients, making them more susceptible to experiencing negative mental health effects due to increased work pressure. Predefined exclusion criteria included serious carsickness reaction, psychological crisis with a definite diagnosis, and not being engaged in nursing work related to COVID-19. Nurse managers in different departments recommended participants for the study, and interested nurses were contacted to provide basic information and complete evaluation content. Recruitment took place in September 2022. We recorded the enrolled nurses, related basic information and outcome measures.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
China2 sites
siting YANG
Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210001
YANG Siting
Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210001
About this study
Official title: Effects of an Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention Combined With Mindfulness-based Therapy on Mental Health in Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a widely used method to improve mental state and sleep quality, was developed by Kabat-Zinn in 1970. The meditation of MBSR is effective in regulating patients' emotions, leading to reduced stress, pain, and psychological symptoms. Studies have demonstrated that MBSR has a positive impact on multiple psychological and physical symptoms in a variety of cancers. On this basis, investigators found that VR treatment can also help patients relax, and it has been widely used in cancer symptom relief in recent years. VR treatment involves using headset devices that fully restrict the vision field to content displayed inside the headset screen; As a treatment modality, VR provides a unique environment comprising 3D visually immersive experiences that are enriched with stereo sounds and elements such as rich colors and scenic environments that enhance elicitation of desired states of arousal and affect. Within the therapeutic context, VR may be flexibly designed and tailored to address the needs of specific conditions (eg, anxiety, depression, pain) auditory perception is not fully restricted, though the corresponding device-delivered auditory content commands attention.
Read the detailed description
Recently, studies have revealed that individuals who have survived a COVID-19 infection may experience a range of persistent symptoms (Comelli et al., 2022; Nalbandian et al., 2021), indicating that the pandemic is far from over and its aftermath is difficult to eliminate completely. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for nurses around the world. Not only are they at the forefront of preventing and controlling the spread of the virus, but they are also the primary caregivers for patients experiencing the after-effects of the pandemic. Meanwhile, they also need to care for the patients with other illness. Some study evidence indicated that there is a shortage of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and nursing staff are experiencing a high level of negative emotions (Jiang et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2022).
The ongoing pandemic has had a huge impact on the mental health and work of nurses (Chen et al., 2021). Between 40% and 66.7% of surveyed health care workers reported mental health problems during the pandemic, according to a report by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, 2021). The stress caused by COVID-19 has contributed to workforce attrition, with many nurses opting to leave the profession (Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, 2021; World Health Organization, 2022). It has taken a heavy toll on the healthcare system. Maintaining the mental health of nurses is crucial. This is not only conducive to pandemic prevention and control, but also plays a significant role in the normal medical order.
- Conditions
- Stress, COVID-19 Pandemic, Nurse's Role
- Being tested
- Therapeutic VR
- Keywords
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Virtual Reality, COVID-19
- Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Therapeutic VRDevice
Also called Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
Treatment module categories included: (1) Mindfulness-based stress reduction training: an audio conducting practice with breathing-based biofeedback training in immersive and interactive environments to support self-regulation and relaxation.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction by Therapeutic VR | Experimental | 47 participates were randomized and allocated to this treatment group. During the study, seven individuals were lost, and a total of 40 nurses participated in the final statistics. Of the seven individuals lost, two withdrew from the intervention due to personal reasons, while the remaining five terminated the intervention due to COVID-19 infection. The therapeutic intervention consisted of an eight-week group intervention that included the same amount of contact and meditations as MBT. Receives: Device: Therapeutic VR |
| Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction | Other | Received the same mindfulness therapy training audio as the other set, but did not watch the 3D scene on the VR device. At the end of the study, we will compensate them and let them use VR for relaxation training according to their wishes. Receives: Device: Therapeutic VR |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)
The HAM-A contains items, each scored on a 5-point scale (0, asymptomatic; 1, mild symptoms; 2, moderate symptoms; 3, severe symptoms; 4, extremely severe symptoms). The total sum score, ranging from 0 to 56, can be classified into four levels: 0, no anxiety symptoms; 1-17, mild anxiety; 18-24, moderate anxiety; 25-56, severe anxiety
Measured: up to 8 weeks
Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21)
The questionnaire of the Chinese version of DASS-21 comprises 21 items that assess three negative emotional experiences, namely depression, anxiety, and stress (Jiang et al., 2021). The depression factor consists of seven items (3, 5, 10, 13, 16, 17, 21), which are related to pathological dysthymia, low self-esteem, and low level of positive emotions. The anxiety factor comprises seven items (2, 4, 7, 9, 15, 19, 20), that related to the somatic and subjective experience of anxiety arousal. The stress factor includes seven items (1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 18), that relate to negative emotionally. A 4-point score System was used (0=completely disagree, 1=partially agree, 2=mostly agree, 3=completely agree). Higher scores indicate stronger negative emotional experiences (Gomez et al., 2014; Oei et al., 2013).
Measured: up to 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Work-related emotional score (WRE)
Nurses were asked to select a level of their mood at work during the COVID-19 to reflect their emotional attitude or degree of satisfaction towards work. The question posed was, "Has COVID-19 affected your mood at work?". The subjective scores range from 0 (no affected) to 10 (extremely affected).
Measured: up to 8 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Aug 2022
- Study start25 Sep 2022
- Primary completion30 Jan 2023
- Study completion30 Jan 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Huichao Zhang, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Investigators
- Yuxi Zhang, master, Study director, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05517148
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SJCX22_0701
- Status last verified
- May 2023
- First submitted
- 23 Aug 2022
- Last updated
- 23 May 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Hope that the paper will be shared after it is accepted
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 May 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of an Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention Combined With Mindfulness-based Therapy on Mental Health in Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05517148
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SJCX22_0701
- Conditions
- Stress, COVID-19 Pandemic, Nurse's Role
- Keywords
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Virtual Reality, COVID-19
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese MedicineUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jan 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Aug 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a widely used method to improve mental state and sleep quality, was developed by Kabat-Zinn in 1970. The meditation of MBSR is effective in regulating patients' emotions, leading to reduced stress, pain, and psychological symptoms. Studies have demonstrated that MBSR has a positive impact on multiple psychological and physical symptoms in a variety of cancers. On this basis, investigators found that VR treatment can also help patients relax, and it has been widely used in cancer symptom relief in recent years. VR treatment involves using headset devices that fully restrict the vision field to content displayed inside the headset screen; As a treatment modality, VR provides a unique environment comprising 3D visually immersive experiences that are enriched with stereo sounds and elements such as rich colors and scenic environments that enhance elicitation of desired states of arousal and affect. Within the therapeutic context, VR may be flexibly designed and tailored to address the needs of specific conditions (eg, anxiety, depression, pain) auditory perception is not fully restricted, though the corresponding device-delivered auditory content commands attention.
Detailed description
Recently, studies have revealed that individuals who have survived a COVID-19 infection may experience a range of persistent symptoms (Comelli et al., 2022; Nalbandian et al., 2021), indicating that the pandemic is far from over and its aftermath is difficult to eliminate completely. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for nurses around the world. Not only are they at the forefront of preventing and controlling the spread of the virus, but they are also the primary caregivers for patients experiencing the after-effects of the pandemic. Meanwhile, they also need to care for the patients with other illness. Some study evidence indicated that there is a shortage of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and nursing staff are experiencing a high level of negative emotions (Jiang et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2022).
The ongoing pandemic has had a huge impact on the mental health and work of nurses (Chen et al., 2021). Between 40% and 66.7% of surveyed health care workers reported mental health problems during the pandemic, according to a report by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, 2021). The stress caused by COVID-19 has contributed to workforce attrition, with many nurses opting to leave the profession (Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, 2021; World Health Organization, 2022). It has taken a heavy toll on the healthcare system. Maintaining the mental health of nurses is crucial. This is not only conducive to pandemic prevention and control, but also plays a significant role in the normal medical order.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction by Therapeutic VR | Experimental | Device: Therapeutic VR47 participates were randomized and allocated to this treatment group. During the study, seven individuals were lost, and a total of 40 nurses participated in the final statistics. Of the seven individuals lost, two withdrew from the intervention due to personal reasons, while the remaining five terminated the intervention due to COVID-19 infection. The therapeutic intervention consisted of an eight-week group intervention that included the same amount of contact and meditations as MBT. |
| Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction | Other | Device: Therapeutic VRReceived the same mindfulness therapy training audio as the other set, but did not watch the 3D scene on the VR device. At the end of the study, we will compensate them and let them use VR for relaxation training according to their wishes. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic VRAlso: Mindfulness-based Stress ReductionTreatment module categories included: (1) Mindfulness-based stress reduction training: an audio conducting practice with breathing-based biofeedback training in immersive and interactive environments to support self-regulation and relaxation. | Device | Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction by Therapeutic VR |
Primary outcome
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)
Time frame: up to 8 weeks
The HAM-A contains items, each scored on a 5-point scale (0, asymptomatic; 1, mild symptoms; 2, moderate symptoms; 3, severe symptoms; 4, extremely severe symptoms). The total sum score, ranging from 0 to 56, can be classified into four levels: 0, no anxiety symptoms; 1-17, mild anxiety; 18-24, moderate anxiety; 25-56, severe anxiety
Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21)
Time frame: up to 8 weeks
The questionnaire of the Chinese version of DASS-21 comprises 21 items that assess three negative emotional experiences, namely depression, anxiety, and stress (Jiang et al., 2021). The depression factor consists of seven items (3, 5, 10, 13, 16, 17, 21), which are related to pathological dysthymia, low self-esteem, and low level of positive emotions. The anxiety factor comprises seven items (2, 4, 7, 9, 15, 19, 20), that related to the somatic and subjective experience of anxiety arousal. The stress factor includes seven items (1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 18), that relate to negative emotionally. A 4-point score System was used (0=completely disagree, 1=partially agree, 2=mostly agree, 3=completely agree). Higher scores indicate stronger negative emotional experiences (Gomez et al., 2014; Oei et al., 2013).
1 secondary outcome
Work-related emotional score (WRE)
Time frame: up to 8 weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 May 2023.
- Refer to related definitionsLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Hope that the paper will be shared after it is accepted
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Yuxi Zhang, master study director
The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Therapeutic VR in people with Stress and COVID-19 Pandemic, run by Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine at 2 sites in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 May 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) (time frame: up to 8 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 May 2023; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.