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Can a virtual ocean calm hospital patients? researchers put VR blue spaces to the test

NCT ID NCT07817810

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia 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
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether immersive virtual reality environments that show blue spaces can improve the mood and emotional well-being of patients in intermediate care units. The study includes 80 adults from two hospitals, split into two groups: one views three 3D 360-degree VR environments through a head-mounted display, while the other views the same scenes in 2D on a tablet. Participants answer questionnaires about their mood, sense of presence in the virtual space, and any physical discomfort. The goal is to see whether headset-based virtual nature offers a simple, low-intensity way to support patients' emotional health during recovery.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
immersive virtual reality environments showing blue spaces, viewed through a head-mounted display
What this could lead to
If it works, hospitals could offer a low-cost, drug-free way to lift patients' mood during recovery. It could also shape how designers build calming virtual environments for people in care.
What could go wrong
The trial is small, with 80 patients at two hospitals, and measures short-term mood changes rather than lasting health benefits. Some people feel dizzy or queasy in virtual reality, and the calming effect may not hold up outside a supervised session.

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

80 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2024

Finished

Jun 2024

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

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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. * Patients of the Intermediate Unit at either of two hospitals: the Hospital de Sant Jaume de Manlleu or the University Hospital of Santa Creu de Vic. * Individuals aged 18 years or older were included. * Participation in the study was voluntary, and all individuals provided written informed consent before enrolment. * Both men and women were eligible, seeking a balanced gender distribution and patient willingness. Exclusion criteria: * Binocular or auditory anomalies. * Pre-existing psychiatric disorders. * Serious medical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, epilepsy, or implanted electronic devices like pacemakers) that could be negatively impacted by HMD-VR technology.

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Three VR environments

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVIC-UCC)

    Vic, Barcelona, 08500, Spain