Empathy Towards People Experiencing HomelessnessNCT07727447
Virtual Reality and Lived-Experience Speakers in Homelessness Education: A Mixed-Methods Study of Medical Sciences Students' Empathy and Attitudes Toward People Experiencing Homelessness
A study testing We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation and Lived-experience speaker session on homelessness in people with Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness and Education, run by Western University at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to learn whether a virtual reality experience about homelessness, used together with talks from people with lived experience of homelessness, can improve empathy and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness in undergraduate medical sciences students. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness, Education, Education, Medical, Undergraduate
- What is being tested?
- We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation and Lived-experience speaker session on homelessness
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 74 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 9 Sep 2025to 14 Nov 2025
- 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
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Students must be enrolled in MedSci 4995E and be able to put on and experience the VR simulation.
Who cannot join
- Students with visual/audio impairments may not be able to participate in the VR experience.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Potential of Virtual Reality in Fostering Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness
The goal of this study is to learn whether a virtual reality experience about homelessness, used together with talks from people with lived experience of homelessness, can improve empathy and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness in undergraduate medical sciences students. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Do students who complete a virtual reality experience before hearing from lived-experience speakers show greater improvement in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness than students who hear from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure?
- Do students who complete a virtual reality experience before hearing from lived-experience speakers report greater engagement with the speaker talks than students who hear from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure?
- How do students describe the distinct value of virtual reality and lived-experience speakers in supporting empathy development and understanding of homelessness?
- How does the order of virtual reality and lived-experience speaker activities influence student learning?
Read more
The study hypothesis was that students who completed the virtual reality experience before hearing from the lived-experience speakers would show greater improvement in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, as measured by the Attitudes Toward Homelessness Inventory and the Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory, than students who heard from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. The study also hypothesized that students who completed the virtual reality experience first would report greater engagement with the lived-experience speaker talks.
Researchers compared two groups of undergraduate medical sciences students. One group completed the virtual reality experience before hearing from guest speakers with lived experience of homelessness. The other group heard from the guest speakers first and completed the virtual reality experience after the post-intervention survey. Researchers compared the groups to see whether completing virtual reality before the speaker session led to greater changes in students' empathy, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. Participants completed online surveys before and after the educational sessions.
Students were invited to take part in focus group discussions about the virtual reality experience, guest speakers, empathy, and learning
Read the detailed description
This mixed-methods educational intervention study examined whether a perspective-taking virtual reality simulation could complement lived-experience teaching about homelessness in an undergraduate medical sciences course. The study was conducted at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, with students enrolled in two sections of a community-engaged learning course. The course was selected because many students in the program intend to pursue careers in healthcare or related health professions.
Participants were recruited from two course sections. Students self-enrolled into course sections, and one section was randomly assigned to complete the virtual reality intervention before a lived-experience speaker session. The other section heard from the lived-experience speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. The virtual reality intervention was We Live Here, an immersive simulation in which users take the perspective of a person experiencing homelessness. The lived-experience teaching session involved guest speakers who shared personal experiences of homelessness and responded to student questions.
All participants completed a baseline survey at the beginning of the academic term. The baseline survey included validated measures of empathic concern, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. Three weeks later, one group completed the virtual reality simulation. One week after that, both groups attended the lived-experience speaker session. After the speaker session, both groups completed a post-intervention survey that repeated the attitude measures and included short-answer questions about how the educational activities affected their understanding of homelessness. The comparison group completed the virtual reality simulation after the post-intervention survey so that all students had access to the same educational experience.
The quantitative component compared pre- to post-intervention changes in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness between students who completed virtual reality before the speaker session and students who heard from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. The primary hypothesis was that students who completed virtual reality before hearing from lived-experience speakers would show greater improvement in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness and would report greater engagement with the speaker session. Survey responses were analyzed using Bayesian ordinal multilevel models to account for repeated responses by participant and variation across survey items.
The qualitative component was designed to help explain and extend the survey findings. Short-answer survey responses and focus group discussions were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Focus groups were organized by intervention sequence to explore how students perceived the distinct contributions of virtual reality and lived-experience speakers, and whether the order of these activities influenced empathy development, perspective-taking, engagement, and understanding of homelessness.
The study was approved by the Western University Research Ethics Board. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.
- Conditions
- Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness, Education, Education, Medical, Undergraduate
- Being tested
- We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation, Lived-experience speaker session on homelessness
- Keywords
- Education, Empathy, Perspective-taking, Homelessness, Virtual reality, Lived experience
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulationBehavioural
Participants completed We Live Here, an immersive virtual reality simulation designed to support perspective-taking about homelessness. The simulation was created in collaboration with a person with lived experience of homelessness and places the user in the perspective of "Rocky," a woman experiencing homelessness. The experience begins with a voiceover describing how Rocky came to experience homelessness after job loss. Participants are then placed inside her tent during a police operation at an encampment and are asked to interact with personal items, such as photographs, a radio, and a music box, that provide information about Rocky's life, relationships, memories, and sense of home. The simulation is intended to help students visualize and emotionally engage with the circumstances, losses, and human experiences associated with homelessness before or after hearing from lived-experience speakers.
Lived-experience speaker session on homelessnessBehavioural
Participants attended a classroom-based session with guest speakers who had lived experience of homelessness. The speakers shared personal narratives about how they came to experience homelessness, the challenges and barriers they faced, how they were treated while experiencing homelessness, and their experiences with housing, education, stigma, and support systems. Students had the opportunity to listen to the speakers' stories and ask questions. The session was intended to deepen students' understanding of homelessness, challenge misconceptions, and support empathy toward people experiencing homelessness.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| VR Before Lived-Experience Speakers | Experimental | Participants in this arm completed the We Live Here virtual reality simulation before attending the lived-experience speaker session. The simulation placed students in the perspective of a person experiencing homelessness and was intended to provide an immersive introduction to the topic. One week later, participants heard from guest speakers with lived experience of homelessness. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention surveys assessing empathy, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, and were invited to participate in focus group discussions. Receives: Behavioral: We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation; Behavioral: Lived-experience speaker session on homelessness |
| Speaker Session With Delayed VR Exposure | Active comparator | Participants in this arm attended the lived-experience speaker session without prior exposure to the We Live Here virtual reality simulation. The speaker session included guest speakers who shared personal experiences of homelessness and responded to student questions. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention surveys assessing empathy, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. After the post-intervention survey, participants completed the We Live Here virtual reality simulation as delayed exposure, so that all students had access to the same educational activity. Participants were also invited to participate in focus group discussions. Receives: Behavioral: We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation; Behavioral: Lived-experience speaker session on homelessness |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness
Change from baseline to post-intervention in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, measured using selected items from the Attitudes Toward Homelessness Inventory and the Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory. Responses were collected on ordered Likert scales, with negatively worded items reverse-coded so that higher scores reflected more positive attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness.
Measured: Baseline and 4 weeks
Secondary outcomes (3)
Empathic concern
Empathic concern was measured at baseline using the Empathic Concern subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Scores were used to characterize participants and examine whether empathic concern was associated with attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness.
Measured: Baseline
Perspective-taking
Perspective-taking was measured at baseline using the Perspective-Taking subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Scores were used to characterize participants and examine whether perspective-taking was associated with attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness.
Measured: Baseline
Student-reported impact of VR on understanding speaker talks
Students in the VR-before-speaker group answered an open-ended post-intervention survey question asking whether the VR experience affected their understanding of the guest speaker talks. Responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
Measured: 4 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Jul 2026
- Study start9 Sep 2025
- Primary completion14 Nov 2025
- Study completion14 Nov 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Empathy Towards People Experiencing HomelessnessStudies 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This study used a parallel-group design with a delayed virtual reality exposure for one group. Students in both groups heard from lived-experience speakers and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys. The primary comparison was between students who completed the virtual reality simulation before the speaker session and students who heard from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. After the post-intervention survey, the comparison group also completed the virtual reality simulation so that all students had access to the same educational activity. Because the main quantitative comparison occurred before the delayed virtual reality exposure, the study is best classified as parallel rather than crossover, although it includes a delayed-exposure component.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 74 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Western University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Paul Mensink, Western University, Canada
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07727447
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 122903
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 27 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Potential of Virtual Reality in Fostering Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07727447
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 122903
- Conditions
- Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness, Education, Education, Medical, Undergraduate
- Keywords
- Education, Empathy, Perspective-taking, Homelessness, Virtual reality, Lived experience
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 74 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Western UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 9 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 14 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 14 Nov 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 27 Jul 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.
The goal of this study is to learn whether a virtual reality experience about homelessness, used together with talks from people with lived experience of homelessness, can improve empathy and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness in undergraduate medical sciences students. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Do students who complete a virtual reality experience before hearing from lived-experience speakers show greater improvement in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness than students who hear from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure?
- Do students who complete a virtual reality experience before hearing from lived-experience speakers report greater engagement with the speaker talks than students who hear from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure?
- How do students describe the distinct value of virtual reality and lived-experience speakers in supporting empathy development and understanding of homelessness?
- How does the order of virtual reality and lived-experience speaker activities influence student learning?
The study hypothesis was that students who completed the virtual reality experience before hearing from the lived-experience speakers would show greater improvement in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, as measured by the Attitudes Toward Homelessness Inventory and the Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory, than students who heard from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. The study also hypothesized that students who completed the virtual reality experience first would report greater engagement with the lived-experience speaker talks.
Researchers compared two groups of undergraduate medical sciences students. One group completed the virtual reality experience before hearing from guest speakers with lived experience of homelessness. The other group heard from the guest speakers first and completed the virtual reality experience after the post-intervention survey. Researchers compared the groups to see whether completing virtual reality before the speaker session led to greater changes in students' empathy, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. Participants completed online surveys before and after the educational sessions.
Students were invited to take part in focus group discussions about the virtual reality experience, guest speakers, empathy, and learning
Detailed description
This mixed-methods educational intervention study examined whether a perspective-taking virtual reality simulation could complement lived-experience teaching about homelessness in an undergraduate medical sciences course. The study was conducted at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, with students enrolled in two sections of a community-engaged learning course. The course was selected because many students in the program intend to pursue careers in healthcare or related health professions.
Participants were recruited from two course sections. Students self-enrolled into course sections, and one section was randomly assigned to complete the virtual reality intervention before a lived-experience speaker session. The other section heard from the lived-experience speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. The virtual reality intervention was We Live Here, an immersive simulation in which users take the perspective of a person experiencing homelessness. The lived-experience teaching session involved guest speakers who shared personal experiences of homelessness and responded to student questions.
All participants completed a baseline survey at the beginning of the academic term. The baseline survey included validated measures of empathic concern, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. Three weeks later, one group completed the virtual reality simulation. One week after that, both groups attended the lived-experience speaker session. After the speaker session, both groups completed a post-intervention survey that repeated the attitude measures and included short-answer questions about how the educational activities affected their understanding of homelessness. The comparison group completed the virtual reality simulation after the post-intervention survey so that all students had access to the same educational experience.
The quantitative component compared pre- to post-intervention changes in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness between students who completed virtual reality before the speaker session and students who heard from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. The primary hypothesis was that students who completed virtual reality before hearing from lived-experience speakers would show greater improvement in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness and would report greater engagement with the speaker session. Survey responses were analyzed using Bayesian ordinal multilevel models to account for repeated responses by participant and variation across survey items.
The qualitative component was designed to help explain and extend the survey findings. Short-answer survey responses and focus group discussions were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Focus groups were organized by intervention sequence to explore how students perceived the distinct contributions of virtual reality and lived-experience speakers, and whether the order of these activities influenced empathy development, perspective-taking, engagement, and understanding of homelessness.
The study was approved by the Western University Research Ethics Board. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- This study used a parallel-group design with a delayed virtual reality exposure for one group. Students in both groups heard from lived-experience speakers and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys. The primary comparison was between students who completed the virtual reality simulation before the speaker session and students who heard from the speakers without prior virtual reality exposure. After the post-intervention survey, the comparison group also completed the virtual reality simulation so that all students had access to the same educational activity. Because the main quantitative comparison occurred before the delayed virtual reality exposure, the study is best classified as parallel rather than crossover, although it includes a delayed-exposure component.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| VR Before Lived-Experience Speakers | Experimental | Behavioral: We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation, Behavioral: Lived-experience speaker session on homelessnessParticipants in this arm completed the We Live Here virtual reality simulation before attending the lived-experience speaker session. The simulation placed students in the perspective of a person experiencing homelessness and was intended to provide an immersive introduction to the topic. One week later, participants heard from guest speakers with lived experience of homelessness. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention surveys assessing empathy, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, and were invited to participate in focus group discussions. |
| Speaker Session With Delayed VR Exposure | Active comparator | Behavioral: We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation, Behavioral: Lived-experience speaker session on homelessnessParticipants in this arm attended the lived-experience speaker session without prior exposure to the We Live Here virtual reality simulation. The speaker session included guest speakers who shared personal experiences of homelessness and responded to student questions. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention surveys assessing empathy, perspective-taking, and attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness. After the post-intervention survey, participants completed the We Live Here virtual reality simulation as delayed exposure, so that all students had access to the same educational activity. Participants were also invited to participate in focus group discussions. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Students must be enrolled in MedSci 4995E and be able to put on and experience the VR simulation.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Students with visual/audio impairments may not be able to participate in the VR experience.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulationParticipants completed We Live Here, an immersive virtual reality simulation designed to support perspective-taking about homelessness. The simulation was created in collaboration with a person with lived experience of homelessness and places the user in the perspective of "Rocky," a woman experiencing homelessness. The experience begins with a voiceover describing how Rocky came to experience homelessness after job loss. Participants are then placed inside her tent during a police operation at an encampment and are asked to interact with personal items, such as photographs, a radio, and a music box, that provide information about Rocky's life, relationships, memories, and sense of home. The simulation is intended to help students visualize and emotionally engage with the circumstances, losses, and human experiences associated with homelessness before or after hearing from lived-experience speakers. | Behavioural | Speaker Session With Delayed VR Exposure, VR Before Lived-Experience Speakers |
| Lived-experience speaker session on homelessnessParticipants attended a classroom-based session with guest speakers who had lived experience of homelessness. The speakers shared personal narratives about how they came to experience homelessness, the challenges and barriers they faced, how they were treated while experiencing homelessness, and their experiences with housing, education, stigma, and support systems. Students had the opportunity to listen to the speakers' stories and ask questions. The session was intended to deepen students' understanding of homelessness, challenge misconceptions, and support empathy toward people experiencing homelessness. | Behavioural | Speaker Session With Delayed VR Exposure, VR Before Lived-Experience Speakers |
Primary outcome
Change in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness
Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Change from baseline to post-intervention in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, measured using selected items from the Attitudes Toward Homelessness Inventory and the Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory. Responses were collected on ordered Likert scales, with negatively worded items reverse-coded so that higher scores reflected more positive attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness.
3 secondary outcomes
Empathic concern
Time frame: Baseline
Perspective-taking
Time frame: Baseline
Student-reported impact of VR on understanding speaker talks
Time frame: 4 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 27 Jul 2026.
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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing We Live Here virtual reality homelessness perspective-taking simulation and Lived-experience speaker session on homelessness in people with Empathy Towards People Experiencing Homelessness and Education, run by Western University at 1 site in Canada.
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 1 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Jul 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 Canada. 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?
Change in attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness (time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks). 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 27 Jul 2026.