VR goggles vs. pills: new trial tests tech for teen depression
NCT ID NCT07452341
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether using a virtual reality headset for 30 minutes each week can reduce depression in teenage girls aged 13-18. Half the participants will use VR, while the other half take standard antidepressant pills. Researchers will measure changes in depression scores and quality of life after 8 weeks.
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 headset
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug option to help ease depression symptoms in adolescent girls.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 48 participants, so results may not apply widely. VR may not work as well as standard medication.
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 48 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Feb 2027
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
-
13 to 18 years
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- 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 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: * Adolescent females suffer from depression who are diagnosed and referred by the psychiatrist. * Their ages will range from 13-18 years old * Their BMI will range from 15.5 -24.9 kg/m2 * They are interested in their mental state or with depressive disorders and their score on Beck depression inventory (BDI) between 11-30 (mild to moderate depression) * They are interested in using VR technology to improve mental health problems. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who suffer from major diseases other than depression. * Adolescents who are not interested in VR. * Patients with severe mental illness or repetitive suicidal trials . * Patients who receive any other psychotherapy. * Obese patients with BMI more than 26.2 -29.5kg/m2
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Depression are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
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.
-
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.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Can a phone app that blocks distracting apps ease depression?
- Can teachers and a phone app ease teen depression?
- Can imagining exercise boost brain power after spinal cord injury?
- Can a group program teach teens to cope before therapy starts?
- Can intense brain zaps lift depression? scientists track blood flow in real time