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VR therapy gets a confidence boost to fight fear of heights

NCT ID NCT05824884

Symptom relief Sponsor: Ruhr University of Bochum Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether adding self-esteem boosts during virtual reality (VR) exposure helps people with fear of heights more than VR alone. 83 adults with fear of heights went through a VR height challenge, with some receiving positive feedback and reminders of past successes during or after the session. Researchers measured changes in fear, avoidance, and physical responses to see if the extra encouragement made a difference.

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 with self-efficacy enhancement
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a more effective way to treat fear of heights using VR, by boosting confidence during exposure.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study (83 people) testing a specific technique. Results may not apply to everyone with fear of heights, and the effect may be modest.

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

83 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2023

Finished

Mar 2026

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 to 65 years

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: * age 18 to 65 years * fear of heights * normal or corrected vision Exclusion Criteria: * acute psychotherapy or psychotherapy in the past 2 years * acute psychiatric drug intake * acute schizophrenic or psychotic symptoms * acute major depressive episode with severe symptoms * acute substance use disorder * neurological disorder or mental disability * cardiac arrhythmias or pacemaker

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Acrophobia specific phobia

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Fear of heights Specific phobia, situational

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Mental Health Research and Treatment Center

    Bochum, 44787, Germany