Video game therapy: VR could help kids beat anxiety before it starts
NCT ID NCT06236919
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a virtual reality (VR) game can help children aged 10 to 16 improve their emotional regulation and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Half of the 160 participants will play VR cognitive training games, while the other half will do VR relaxation exercises. The goal is to see if gamified training can be a fun, effective way to prevent mental health issues in young people.
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 cognitive training games
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a fun, school-based tool to help children manage emotions and lower their risk of developing anxiety or depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early pilot study with only 160 participants. The VR games may not be more effective than relaxation exercises, and some children may experience motion sickness.
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
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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 160 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2026
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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10 to 16 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * School-aged participants (aged 10 to 16 years old) * Individuals who provide consent to participate. Exclusion Criteria: * A previous diagnosis of severe psychiatric (e.g., maniac, or psychotic symptoms). * A previous diagnosis of severe psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., severe autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, etc), * A previous diagnosis of severe physical, motor, or sensory impairments that could interfere with the examination or the VR program. * Participants who cannot understand Spanish.
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UIC Barcelona International University of Catalonia
RECRUITINGBarcelona, Spain
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