Virtual Reality Treatment for Trauma Related to COVID-19 Infection

ConditionsPTSD PTSD Symptoms

Trial statusNot yet recruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age18-64

SponsorSoonchunhyang University Hospital

About this trial

This clinical trial aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-based exposure therapy for trauma symptoms related to COVID-19 infection. The intervention targets healthcare workers and individuals from the general population who experienced pandemic-related psychological distress. The study assesses psychological and physiological outcomes, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, HRV, and EEG biomarkers.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Age 18-64, healthy population who survived from COVID-19 (COVID survivors) or Healthcare Workers with PCL-5 ≥10, GAD-7/PHQ-9 ≥10

Disqualifiers

Pregnancy, neurological disorders, severe medical conditions

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

VR Exposure Therapy
Behavioral
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) is a form of psychotherapy that uses immersive virtual environments to simulate trauma-related stimuli in a controlled and safe setting, allowing individuals to gradually confront and process distressing memories or triggers. VRET is grounded in prolonged exposure (PE) therapy, a well-established treatment for PTSD and anxiety disorders. In this study, VRET is delivered in 5 weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 50 minutes, using a customized VR system. Sessions are tailored based on participant group (e.g., COVID-19 survivor vs. healthcare worker). Each session includes psychoeducation, exposure to individualized trauma-related virtual scenes, and guided emotional processing. The system incorporates eye-tracking, breathing exercises, and real-time subjective distress scaling (SUDs) to monitor engagement and safety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Behavioral
Face-to-face CBT with exposure elements, targeting trauma-related symptoms. Administered in 5 weekly sessions.
Supportive Psychotherapy
Behavioral
Therapist-led supportive therapy (TAU), focusing on empathy, validation, and emotional support without structured exposure.

Treatment groups

100 Participants

are divided into 4 treatment groups

Group A: Healthcare workers with VR Exposure TherapyExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: COVID-19 survivors with VR Exposure TherapyExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group C: Healthcare workers with CBTActive comparator 1 intervention

Group D: COVID-19 survivor with Supportive Therapy/TAUActive comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Change in PTSD symptoms

Change in PTSD symptoms (PCL-5/CAPS-5) at baseline, week 5, 3-mo follow-up

Time frame

baseline, week 5, 3-mo follow-up

Locations

This trial has no locations.

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Soonchunhyang University Hospital

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: