XR2ESILIENCE - XR-Based Resilience Training for Stress and Mental Health in Healthcare Workers
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-65
SponsorMedical University of Graz
About this trial
This study investigates the effectiveness of an extended reality (XR) based resilience training program designed to support the mental health and well-being of nurses working in hospital settings. Nurses are exposed to high emotional, cognitive, and organizational demands and show elevated levels of work-related stress and stress-associated mental health problems. Strengthening resilience and coping capacities is therefore an important preventive approach to support nurses' well-being and sustain quality of care.
The study is conducted as a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with a waitlist control group and includes approximately 232 nurses from hospitals in several European countries. Participants are randomly assigned either to an XR-based resilience training group or to a waitlist control group that continues with care as usual during the waiting period. The XR-based intervention consists of eight immersive training sessions delivered over approximately ten weeks using a head-mounted display. The training focuses on behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies and aims to enhance key resilience factors such as problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, emotion regulation, and positive self-care.
The primary outcome is perceived stress, assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. Secondary outcomes include resilience, occupational self-efficacy, quality of life, psychological distress, burnout symptoms, coping strategies, work-related rumination, and turnover intentions. Assessments are conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 20-week follow-up. In addition, a subgroup of participants will optionally provide physiological data during selected XR sessions to explore digital biomarkers related to stress and recovery.
The findings of this study will provide evidence on the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptance of XR-based resilience training for nurses and inform future implementation of digital mental health interventions in healthcare workplaces.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
working as a nurse in direct patient care within a clinical setting;
working at least 10h/week in their profession;
speaking the language in which the RCT is conducted sufficiently well;
able and willing to participate in all aspects of the study;
Disqualifiers
a diagnosed severe mental disorder associated with alterations in reality perception (e.g., delusions, hallucinations, derealization, depersonalization, or dementia), including in particular schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe major depressive disorder, or other psychotic disorders (lifetime);
a current major depressive episode or a current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
an acute or clinically significant medical condition that may interfere with the safe use of an XR headset or study participation, including but not limited to epilepsy, pronounced dizziness, balance disorders, or acute cardiovascular conditions;
an acute eye infection (e.g., conjunctivitis);
Trial design
Design model
Crossover
Treatments tested in this trial
XR-based Resilience Training
BehavioralThe XR-based resilience training is delivered via a standalone extended reality head-mounted display and consists of eight immersive sessions over approximately ten weeks. The training addresses behavioral coping strategies such as problem solving, cognitive coping strategies such as appraisal and reappraisal of stressors, and emotional coping strategies including emotion regulation and positive self-care. Sessions last approximately 20 to 30 minutes and are completed individually with technical support available if needed.
Waitlist Control
Other interventionParticipants assigned to the waitlist control condition receive no active intervention during the initial study period and continue with care as usual. After completion of the post-intervention assessment, participants are offered access to the XR-based resilience training.
Treatment groups
232 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: XR-based Resilience TrainingExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group B: Waitlist ControlNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Perceived Stress Assessed by PSS-10
Perceived stress measured using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The PSS-10 assesses the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful during the past month. Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress.
Time frame
Baseline, 10 weeks post-randomization & 20 weeks post-randomizationSecondary outcomes
1
Resilience Assessed by BRS
Self-perceived resilience will be assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), a self-report measure consisting of six items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores are calculated by summing item responses (range: 6 to 30) and dividing by the number of items answered, resulting in a mean score ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater resilience.
Time frame
Baseline, 10 weeks post-randomization & 20 weeks post-randomization2
Occupational Self-Efficacy Assessed by OSE-SF
Occupational self-efficacy will be assessed using the Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form (OSE-SF), a self-report measure consisting of items rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all true) to 6 (completely true). Total scores are calculated by summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater occupational self-efficacy.
Time frame
Baseline and 10 weeks post-randomization3
Psychological Distress Assessed by GHQ-12
Psychological distress will be assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), a 12-item self-report measure with items rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0 to 3). Total scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress.
Time frame
Baseline and 10 weeks post-randomization4
Burnout symptoms Assessed by BAT-12
Burnout symptoms will be assessed using the Burnout Assessment Tool - Short Version (BAT-12), a 12-item self-report measure with items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Total scores range from 12 to 60, with higher scores indicating higher levels of burnout-related symptoms.
Time frame
Baseline and 10 weeks post-randomizationSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Medical University of Graz
Lead sponsor
MINDCONSOLE GMBH
Collaborator
Medizinische Privatuniversität Burgenland
Collaborator
Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
Collaborator
St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences
Collaborator
University of Évora
Collaborator
Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
Collaborator
Leuphana Universität Lünenberg
Collaborator
University of Lisbon
Collaborator
Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital
Collaborator
mindconsole
Collaborator
PredictBy Research and Consulting, S.L
Collaborator
Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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