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Virtual Reality Treatment for Trauma Related to COVID-19 Infection

NCT07213596 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2025-10-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

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.

Conditions

  • PTSD
  • PTSD Symptoms

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

VR Exposure Therapy

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.

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Face-to-face CBT with exposure elements, targeting trauma-related symptoms. Administered in 5 weekly sessions.

BEHAVIORAL

Supportive Psychotherapy

Therapist-led supportive therapy (TAU), focusing on empathy, validation, and emotional support without structured exposure.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Soonchunhyang University Hospital

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Ji Sun Kim, MD, PhD · Soonchunhyang University Hospital

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
64 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-11-01
Primary Completion
2026-12-31
Completion
2027-07-31

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Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07213596 on ClinicalTrials.gov