AnxietyNCT06234254
Reducing Adult Inpatients Anxiety With Virtual Reality Meditation
A study testing Virtual Reality headset with calming scenery in people with Anxiety and Virtual Reality, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of the study is to evaluate if non-invasive, distracting devices (virtual reality) can decrease anxiety and improve affect and satisfaction in adult, hospitalized patients. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 99 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety, Virtual Reality
- What is being tested?
- Virtual Reality headset with calming scenery
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 24 Sep 2026to 31 May 2027
- 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 18 to 99 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- between age 18-99
- hospitalized at Stanford Health Care
- english-speaking
Who cannot join
- significant cognitive impairment or inability to consent
- current nausea
- visual problems or currently using corrective glasses that are incompatible with the virtual reality headset
- a history of severe motion sickness
- a history of seizures cause by flashing light
- clinically unstable or require immediate/urgent intervention
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Stanford Health Care (SHC)
Palo Alto, California, 94304
About this study
Official title: Reducing Adult Inpatients Anxiety With Virtual Reality Meditation: A Prospective, Randomized Study
The purpose of the study is to evaluate if non-invasive, distracting devices (virtual reality) can decrease anxiety and improve affect and satisfaction in adult, hospitalized patients.
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Virtual Reality
- Being tested
- Virtual Reality headset with calming scenery
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Virtual Reality headset with calming sceneryBehavioural
Participants will be immersed in a virtual environment. Calming scenery will be shown via the headset for 20-30 minutes
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality | Experimental | Participants will be immersed in a virtual environment. Calming scenery will be shown via the headset for 20-30 minutes Receives: Behavioral: Virtual Reality headset with calming scenery |
| Control | No intervention | No intervention (i.e. virtual reality headset) will be applied to the participant. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. The HADS is a fourteen item scale. Seven of the items relate to anxiety and seven relate to depression. The anxiety and depression subscales each range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety/depression complains. Patients were defined as having anxiety or depression or both if the score was 8 or more in the corresponding subscale.
Measured: Before and Immediate after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 Jan 2024
- Study start24 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
Why it stopped: principal investigator has no intention to start the study at this moment
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Stanford UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Thomas Caruso, Stanford University
- Investigators
- Thomas Caruso, Study director, Stanford University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06234254
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 73841
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 28 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Reducing Adult Inpatients Anxiety With Virtual Reality Meditation: A Prospective, Randomized Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06234254
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 73841
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Virtual Reality
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: principal investigator has no intention to start the study at this moment
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 31 Jan 2024 (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.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate if non-invasive, distracting devices (virtual reality) can decrease anxiety and improve affect and satisfaction in adult, hospitalized patients.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality | Experimental | Behavioral: Virtual Reality headset with calming sceneryParticipants will be immersed in a virtual environment. Calming scenery will be shown via the headset for 20-30 minutes |
| Control | No intervention | –No intervention (i.e. virtual reality headset) will be applied to the participant. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 99 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- between age 18-99
- hospitalized at Stanford Health Care
- english-speaking
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- significant cognitive impairment or inability to consent
- current nausea
- visual problems or currently using corrective glasses that are incompatible with the virtual reality headset
- a history of severe motion sickness
- a history of seizures cause by flashing light
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality headset with calming sceneryParticipants will be immersed in a virtual environment. Calming scenery will be shown via the headset for 20-30 minutes | Behavioural | Virtual Reality |
Primary outcome
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Time frame: Before and Immediate after intervention
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. The HADS is a fourteen item scale. Seven of the items relate to anxiety and seven relate to depression. The anxiety and depression subscales each range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety/depression complains. Patients were defined as having anxiety or depression or both if the score was 8 or more in the corresponding subscale.
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Thomas Caruso study director
Stanford University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Virtual Reality headset with calming scenery in people with Anxiety and Virtual Reality, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. 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 was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
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?
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (time frame: Before and Immediate after intervention). 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 28 Sep 2026.