A Virtual Reality Brief Violence Intervention: Preventing Gun Violence Among Violently Injured Adults

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Violence

Treatments: Other: Treatment as Usual (TAU); Device: Brief Violence Intervention VR (BVI-VR)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT06239285

R01CE003625 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

HM20027823_Thomson

Details and patient eligibility

About

The overall aim of the proposed project is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of Brief Violence Intervention-Virtual Reality (BVI-VR) for reducing firearm-related violence, re-injury, and mortality among victims of violence. Outcome measures of firearm-related violence will come from multiple sources, including criminal background checks, hospital data, state-level data, semi-structured clinical assessments, and self-report assessments. In addition, the study aims to understand the impact of BVI-VR on psychosocial mediators resulting in a reduction of firearm-related violence. This will include self-report surveys, neurocognitive assessments, and clinical assessments. The economic efficiency of BVI-VR as a firearm-related violence intervention will also evaluated. To achieve these aims, a randomized control trial (RCT) in a large sample of violently injured adults (18+ years) from VCU Health will be conducted.

Full description

Brief Violence Intervention-Virtual Reality (BVI-VR) is being developed as a hospital-based brief gun violence intervention program founded on the principles of positive psychology, motivational goal setting (via gameplay), psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. This proposal will develop five steps to create a 30-minute brief firearm-related violence intervention. The five steps address a range of psychosocial risk factors and enhance protective factors for violence, as well as psychoeducational programming specifically addressing the risk of firearm violence. All steps of the BVI-VR emphasize being in control of making positive choices, and how to locate and leverage opportunities within their communities to improve their well-being. BVI-VR empowers patients to be the driver of their well-being.

Enrollment: 220 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• violently injured patients from VCU's Level 1 Trauma Center
• 18 years or older
• English-speaking

Exclusion criteria

• Under 18 years old
• Not a victim of Violent crime

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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220 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Treatment as Usual (TAU) Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

The treatment-as-usual (TAU) group will receive a community resource brochure (the same one that is provided at the end of BVI-VR). This brochure provides contact detail for services in the local area.

Treatment:

Other: Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

Patients randomized into the BVI-VR group will answer questions about the session content and the rationale for the content. Their responses will provide an estimate of engagement providing a better understanding of treatment fidelity.

Treatment:

Device: Brief Violence Intervention VR (BVI-VR)