MIND-VR: Virtual Reality for COVID-19 Operators' Psychological Support
Condition: Stress Related Disorder
MeSH terms: COVID-19
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, several psychological support programs for health care
      workers have been implemented, especially group or individual counseling sessions delivered
      face-to-face or using phones and video conferencing platforms. However, there are significant
      barriers to the delivery of such psychological initiatives. In this context, digital
      interventions to improve health services and care outcomes are recommended for implementing
      and providing remote psychological support. Virtual reality can play a relevant role in
      providing psychological care to healthcare workers facing COVID-19. New commercial
      head-mounted display have made virtual reality accessible even to the mass audience, breaking
      down the barriers in the diffusion and use of this technology. Thanks to this fact, virtual
      reality can now be autonomously used by people and offered to provide psychological
      assistance remotely. Within this context, this randomized controlled study aims to
      investigate the efficacy of a virtual reality home-based program for diminishing stress and
      anxiety in a sample of Italian healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 pandemic.
    

Detailed description: 
      Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, several psychological support programs for health care
      workers have been implemented, especially group or individual counseling sessions delivered
      face-to-face or using phones and video conferencing platforms. However, there are significant
      barriers to the delivery of such psychological initiatives. In this context, digital
      interventions to improve health services and care outcomes are recommended for implementing
      and providing remote psychological support.

      Virtual reality can play a relevant role in providing psychological care to healthcare
      workers facing COVID-19. New commercial head-mounted display have made virtual reality
      accessible even to the mass audience, breaking down the barriers in the diffusion and use of
      this technology. Thanks to this fact, virtual reality can now be autonomously used by people
      and offered to provide psychological assistance remotely.

      Within this context, this randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to investigate the efficacy
      of a virtual reality home-based program for diminishing stress and anxiety in a sample of
      Italian healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the objective is
      to compare the efficacy of this type of training with respect to the same program without
      virtual reality and a waiting list.
    

Intervention name(s): VR for psychoeducation and relaxation; Control (CR)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other
Intervention description(s): Use of specifically developed VR contents to deliver psychoeducational content on stress and anxiety (i.e., "MIND-VR") and to train on relaxation techniques (i.e., "The Secret Garden").; The CR Group will undergo pre- and post-protocol tests without undergoing any treatment.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The study can be defined as a controlled and randomized clinical trial, single-blind and monocentric, aimed at studying the efficacy of the intervention with virtual reality contents in reducing stress and anxiety in healthcare personnel involved in the care of COVID-19 patients. The study will be conducted according to the indications of Good Clinical Practices. The clinical efficacy of the intervention will be assessed at two different time distances (T0, T1).
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: virtual reality; stress; anxiety; prevention; treatment; relaxation techniques; psychoeducation; COVID-19; healthcare workers