Virtual reality could teach troubled teens to tame emotions
NCT ID NCT07709468
First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a therapist-guided virtual reality (VR) program can help adolescents in psychiatric hospitals improve how they regulate their emotions. Participants, aged 11 to 18, are randomly assigned to either personalized VR exposure sessions or a VR relaxation control, both added to their usual treatment. The goal is to see if the VR exposure approach leads to better emotion control and fewer sensory sensitivities.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- virtual reality exposure therapy
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this VR approach could offer a new, engaging tool to help teens in psychiatric hospitals better manage their emotions and reduce anxiety.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with a relatively small number of participants, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is also an add-on to usual care, making it hard to isolate its specific effect.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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11 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Written informed consent/assent. * Age 11-18 years. * Intelligence Quotient (IQ) ≥ 85. * Ability and willingness to participate in VR procedures, behavioral tasks, and questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: * Major somatic or cardiovascular conditions. * Aggressive behavior posing a risk to self or others. * Participation in another clinical investigation within the previous 30 days. * Severe motion sickness or vestibular disorders. * Inability to comply with study procedures. * Discharge from the inpatient setting before completing the minimum intervention duration.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
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