Virtual Reality (VR) NATURE - Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

University of Michigan

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatments: Device: Virtual Reality (VR) -nature treatment; Behavioral: Survey completion

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07413458

HUM00283019

Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot randomized clinical trial will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) nature intervention among adults with at least moderate depression symptoms enrolled in an intensive outpatient Program (IOP) for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

The study hypotheses:

• VR-based nature immersion will be feasible, acceptable, and positively evaluated by participants
• Participants receiving the VR intervention will report greater reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to those receiving standard care alone

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals with a documented AUD diagnosis
• Individuals enrolled in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) (First week enrollment or planned enrollment in Michigan Medicine's Addiction Treatment Services (UMATS) IOP)
• Individuals with a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score (≥10, moderate or greater depression symptoms)

Exclusion criteria

• Severe motion sickness or sensitivity to VR-induced nausea or dizziness (anticipated <10%), medical contraindications to VR use (e.g., seizure disorders, vestibular disorders, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, psychosis).
• Significant cognitive impairments that prevent provision of informed consent
• Suicidal ideation or plan after consultation with treating clinician
• Participants who require vision correction with glasses, unless vision correction is mild (±1), or the participant does not have prescription contact lenses.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Virtual Reality- (VR) nature treatment

Experimental group

Description:

Will use VR for 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Survey completion

Device: Virtual Reality (VR) -nature treatment

No VR - standard treatment - control group

Other group

Description:

Participants will receive bi-weekly email reminders about participation in this study. Participants will be offered to try the VR headsets once participation is over for the randomized period (baseline to 8 weeks).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Survey completion