Virtual reality to help young adults who drink heavily reflect on their goals and consider change
Using Virtual Reality to help develop discrepancy and elicit change talk in brief motivational interventions for heavy drinking young adults
This project uses virtual reality alongside short counseling to help young adults who drink heavily think about how alcohol fits with their priorities and cut back.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11170493 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would take part in short counseling sessions where you wear a VR headset and experience scenes designed to highlight how your drinking lines up (or conflicts) with your goals and values. A counselor will ask open-ended questions while the VR scenes prompt reflection and your own reasons for change. The researchers will compare this VR-enhanced approach to usual brief counseling and track drinking, motivation, and related outcomes over time. Participation typically involves brief visits, surveys, and follow-ups over several months.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are young adults (age 21 and older) who drink heavily and are willing to try brief counseling combined with virtual reality sessions.
Not a fit: People under 21, those with severe alcohol dependence needing specialized inpatient treatment, or those unwilling to engage with VR or counseling may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could make brief counseling more engaging and help more young adults reduce risky drinking.
How similar studies have performed: VR has shown promise as an adjunct to counseling for some mental health and addiction problems, but few trials have targeted hazardous drinking in young adults, making this application encouraging but relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wray, Tyler Blake — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Wray, Tyler Blake
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.