VR headsets could help seniors beat the blues
NCT ID NCT07188623
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether using a virtual reality (VR) headset can make behavioral activation therapy more effective for older adults (65+) with major depression. Thirty participants will use VR to engage in activities that boost mood, and researchers will measure changes in depression scores and how willing people are to keep using VR. The goal is to see if this high-tech approach is practical and helpful for easing depression symptoms.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Sep 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2026
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
-
65 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 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: * Patient must meet DSM V criteria for MDD * Patient must be at least 65 years of age * Patient must be English speaking * Without cognitive impairment Exclusion Criteria: * Substance Use Disorders in past year * Any psychosis or bipolar I disorder * Any seizure in the last 6 months or untreated epilepsy * Current nonsuicidal self-injury or parasuicidal behavior * Current suicidal urges and intent * Changing psychotherapy treatment within three months of study entry * Changing psychotropic medication(s) within two months of study entry
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Behavioral activation treatment 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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Stanford University
RECRUITINGStanford, California, 94304, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can brain stimulation rewire how depressed patients learn from rewards?
- Can dance classes keep older adults steady on their feet?
- Can lay workers in uganda talk depression down?
- Can a computer model outsmart depression in older adults?
- Can a single shot of ketamine calm suicidal distress in the ER?
- Can talk therapy mend more than mood in marital crisis?