Burnout, Healthcare WorkersVR-CF-CBTNCT07666867
Virtual Reality for Enhancing Self Compassion and Reducing Burnout Among Healthcare Providers
A study testing Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets and Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based booklet in people with Burnout, Healthcare Workers and Burnout, run by University of California, San Diego.
Trial summary
Healthcare providers in high-demand clinical settings are at high risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to patient trauma, which can compromise well-being and quality of care. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Burnout, Healthcare Workers, Burnout, Burnout, Psychological
- What is being tested?
- Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets and Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based booklet
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 52 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2026to 1 Feb 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- have at least one year of experience working in a healthcare setting
Who cannot join
- participating in other behavioral interventions that could confound study results
- auditory or visual impairments that would interfere with VR usage
- Participants who experience clinically significant VR-related discomfort/motion sickness as assessed by the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ)
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Healthcare providers in high-demand clinical settings are at high risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to patient trauma, which can compromise well-being and quality of care. Compassion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CF-CBT) can reduce stress and enhance self-compassion, but traditional delivery is time- and resource-intensive. This project evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-enhanced CF-CBT specifically adapted for healthcare providers experiencing vicarious trauma. Grounded in Neff's self-compassion framework (emphasizing self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) the VR intervention provides 8 immersive environments where participants can practice compassion-focused skills, engage in procedural learning, and regulate emotional responses in real time.
The study will be conducted at UC San Diego Health using a two-arm randomized design comparing VR-enhanced CF-CBT with self-guided compassion-focused CBT/mindfulness exercises delivered without VR. Participants will complete 8 brief VR interventional sessions (approximately 6-10 minutes each) over 4-6 weeks. Outcomes include self-compassion, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, measured using validated instruments. Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated through recruitment, retention, session completion, engagement, and participant feedback.
Findings will provide preliminary evidence for VR-enhanced compassion-focused interventions as a scalable and accessible approach to supporting healthcare providers' emotional well-being in demanding clinical environments, and will inform future cultural adaptation and implementation in low-resource and conflict-affected healthcare settings such as those in post-war zones.
- Conditions
- Burnout, Healthcare Workers, Burnout, Burnout, Psychological, Self Compassion, Empathy Training of Healthcare Professional Students
- Being tested
- Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets, Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based booklet
- Keywords
- Self-Compassion, Empathy, CBT, Virtual Reality, Healthcare Provider Burnout
- Medical subject headings
- Burnout, Psychological
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsetsBehavioural
Also called Virtual Reality, CF-CBT
The intervention group will undergo a fixed number of immersive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets.
Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based bookletBehavioural
Also called Control
This arm will receive the same order and frequency of compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via digital booklets
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality enhanced Compassion Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Active comparator | This arm will receive a fixed number of immersive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets. Receives: Behavioral: Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets |
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | This arm will receive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy delivered via psychoeducational booklets. Receives: Behavioral: Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based booklet |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Self-compassion
Self-compassion will be assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), as it reflects a core therapeutic target of the CF-CBT-based techniques
Measured: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-Intervention assessment (T1), and 6 weeks post-intervention assessment (T2)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Burnout
Burnout will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
Measured: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-intervention assessment (T1), 6 weeks post-intervention (T2)
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)
Vicarious (secondary) trauma will be assessed using Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) with ProQOL-STS subscale, both of which are validated tools in healthcare settings, especially for providers exposed to chronic occupational stress and trauma
Measured: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-intervention assessment (T1), 6 weeks post-intervention (T2)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jun 2026
- Study start1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Burnout, Healthcare WorkersStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 52 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Diego
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Wael Al-Delaimy, University of California, San Diego
- Investigators
- Wael Al-Delaimy, PhD, MD, Principal investigator, University of California, San DiegoAndre Faro, PhD, Study chair, Universidade Federal de Sergipe
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07666867
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 814637
- Acronym
- VR-CF-CBT
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 24 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Iriqat R, Faro A, Tarle S, Moore S, Al-Delaimy W. Virtual Reality for Enhancing Self-Compassion and Reducing Burnout Among Mental Health Care Professionals: Protocol for a Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2026 Oct 19;15:e105754. doi: 10.2196/105754.
PubMed 42896176
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Virtual Reality for Enhancing Self Compassion and Reducing Burnout Among Healthcare Providers
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07666867
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VR-CF-CBT / 814637
- Conditions
- Burnout, Healthcare Workers, Burnout, Burnout, Psychological, Self Compassion, Empathy Training of Healthcare Professional Students
- Keywords
- Self-Compassion, Empathy, CBT, Virtual Reality, Healthcare Provider Burnout
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 52 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San DiegoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Jun 2026 (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.
Healthcare providers in high-demand clinical settings are at high risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to patient trauma, which can compromise well-being and quality of care. Compassion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CF-CBT) can reduce stress and enhance self-compassion, but traditional delivery is time- and resource-intensive. This project evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-enhanced CF-CBT specifically adapted for healthcare providers experiencing vicarious trauma. Grounded in Neff's self-compassion framework (emphasizing self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) the VR intervention provides 8 immersive environments where participants can practice compassion-focused skills, engage in procedural learning, and regulate emotional responses in real time.
The study will be conducted at UC San Diego Health using a two-arm randomized design comparing VR-enhanced CF-CBT with self-guided compassion-focused CBT/mindfulness exercises delivered without VR. Participants will complete 8 brief VR interventional sessions (approximately 6-10 minutes each) over 4-6 weeks. Outcomes include self-compassion, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, measured using validated instruments. Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated through recruitment, retention, session completion, engagement, and participant feedback.
Findings will provide preliminary evidence for VR-enhanced compassion-focused interventions as a scalable and accessible approach to supporting healthcare providers' emotional well-being in demanding clinical environments, and will inform future cultural adaptation and implementation in low-resource and conflict-affected healthcare settings such as those in post-war zones.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality enhanced Compassion Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Active comparator | Behavioral: Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsetsThis arm will receive a fixed number of immersive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets. |
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based bookletThis arm will receive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy delivered via psychoeducational booklets. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- have at least one year of experience working in a healthcare setting
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- participating in other behavioral interventions that could confound study results
- auditory or visual impairments that would interfere with VR usage
- Participants who experience clinically significant VR-related discomfort/motion sickness as assessed by the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsetsAlso: Virtual Reality, CF-CBTThe intervention group will undergo a fixed number of immersive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets. | Behavioural | Virtual Reality enhanced Compassion Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |
| Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based bookletAlso: ControlThis arm will receive the same order and frequency of compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via digital booklets | Behavioural | Control Group |
Primary outcome
Self-compassion
Time frame: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-Intervention assessment (T1), and 6 weeks post-intervention assessment (T2)
Self-compassion will be assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), as it reflects a core therapeutic target of the CF-CBT-based techniques
2 secondary outcomes
Burnout
Time frame: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-intervention assessment (T1), 6 weeks post-intervention (T2)
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)
Time frame: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-intervention assessment (T1), 6 weeks post-intervention (T2)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Jun 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42896176Iriqat R, Faro A, Tarle S, Moore S, Al-Delaimy W. Virtual Reality for Enhancing Self-Compassion and Reducing Burnout Among Mental Health Care Professionals: Protocol for a Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2026 Oct 19;15:e105754. doi: 10.2196/105754.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
Wael Al-Delaimy, PhD, MD principal investigator
University of California, San Diego
Andre Faro, PhD study chair
Universidade Federal de Sergipe
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets and Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based booklet in people with Burnout, Healthcare Workers and Burnout, run by University of California, San Diego.
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 1 inclusion and 3 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Rawan Iriqat ((858) 534-2230, ririqat@health.ucsd.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Self-compassion (time frame: Baseline assessment (T0), Post-Intervention assessment (T1), and 6 weeks post-intervention assessment (T2)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07666867, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 24 Jun 2026.