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Nature Exposure Through Virtual Reality (NET-VR) in Older Adults

NCT07443657 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2026-03-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Daily exposure to nature is associated with improved mood and reduced anxiety symptoms in the overall population. Even brief contact with natural environments can lower stress and restore productivity.However, access to natural environments is often limited, particularly for urban and institutionalized older adults, due to physical, financial, and logistical barriers.These challenges highlight the need for new technologies that can facilitate more regular contact with nature. Virtual Reality (VR)-a digital technology that creates realistic scenes and objects to simulate the experience of being in a natural environment-offers a promising solution, particularly for older adults with physical or financial limitations.The aim of this study is to explore how both older adults might benefit from a mental health program that uses virtual reality to simulate exposure to nature.

Conditions

  • Distress, Psychological
  • Negative Affect
  • Cognitive Functioning
  • Older Adults

Interventions

OTHER

Waiting list

Participants assigned to the waiting list arm will not receive the VR intervention during the initial 5-week study period and will continue their usual daily routines without any study-related intervention. After the study period, they will be offered the opportunity to experience a single VR session

OTHER

Nature-Based Virtual Reality Intervention

This intervention uses the commercially available Nature-Trek VR software to immerse participants in diverse natural environments through a virtual reality headset. It is delivered face-to-face in small groups, supervised by a mental health expert, over 5 weeks with twice-weekly 30-minute sessions. The intervention includes a training session, customization of the VR nature environment, and a relaxation immersion stage. It specifically targets reduction of psychological distress and enhancement of cognitive functioning in both young and older adults.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
60 Years
Max Age
90 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-10-09
Primary Completion
2025-12-30
Completion
2025-12-30

Countries

  • Spain

Study Locations

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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 NCT07443657 on ClinicalTrials.gov