XR2ESILIENCE - XR-Based Resilience Training for Stress and Mental Health in Healthcare Workers

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Occupational Stress
• Work-Related Stress
• Mental Health
• Burnout
• Resilience

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

XR-based Resilience Training

The 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.

OTHER

Waitlist Control

Participants 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• MINDCONSOLE GMBH

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Medizinische Privatuniversität Burgenland

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim

  collaborator OTHER

• St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Évora

  collaborator OTHER

• Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Leuphana Universität Lünenberg

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of Lisbon

  collaborator OTHER

• Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• mindconsole

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• PredictBy Research and Consulting, S.L

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Medical University of Graz

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-09-30

Primary Completion

2028-03-31

Completion

2028-03-31

Countries

• Austria
• Croatia
• Germany
• Portugal
• Spain

Study Locations