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Virtual nature walks could lift mood for elderly patients stuck in hospital

NCT ID NCT07712549

Symptom relief Sponsor: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether an interactive, nature-based virtual reality (VR) program can reduce anxiety and depression in older adults staying in the hospital with chronic health conditions. One hundred hospitalized adults aged 60 and older will be randomly assigned to either an interactive VR program where they make simple choices and navigate calming scenes, or a passive version where they watch the same scenes without interaction. Researchers will measure changes in psychological distress, self-esteem, and feelings of helplessness over several weeks to see if the interactive version offers added benefits.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Interactive nature-based virtual reality intervention delivered via head-mounted display
What this could lead to
If effective, this VR program could offer a drug-free way to ease anxiety and depression in older adults during long hospital stays.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with 100 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The benefit over passive nature viewing may be small or absent.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Nov 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Mar 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 60 years or older * Diagnosed with at least one chronic medical condition * Currently receiving inpatient hospital care * Expected to remain hospitalized for at least four weeks following enrolment * Physically able to use a head-mounted virtual reality device, as determined by the treating clinical team * Able to provide written informed consent * Able to complete study assessments and participate in the intervention procedures Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment, defined as a score below 18 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) * Impaired consciousness or reduced alertness that would prevent meaningful participation * Current or previous diagnosis of a psychotic disorder * Current substance use disorder that would interfere with participation in the study procedures * Current treatment with antipsychotic medication * Untreated epilepsy * Severe vestibular dysfunction or recurrent vertigo * Any medical condition judged by the treating physician to make participation unsafe or inappropriate

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Chronic disease Learned helplessness Psychological distress

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Center for Geriatric Care and Nursing Science (Semmelweis University)

    Budapest, 1097, Hungary

  • Department of Neurosurgery (University of Szeged)

    Szeged, 6725, Hungary

  • Rehabilitation Clinic (Semmelweis University)

    Budapest, 1121, Hungary

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