Tailored virtual reality practice for school and social skills for hospitalized teens
Co-Designing a Virtual Reality Intervention to Enhance Skill Development With Adolescents Hospitalized for Suicide-Related Crises
This pilot tests whether a co-designed virtual reality program helps adolescents hospitalized for suicide-related crises practice school and social skills before discharge.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 26 (estimated) |
| Ages | 13 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) |
| Trial ID | NCT07186543 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers adapted an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) program called PrESR with input from adolescents and clinicians, emphasizing culturally and gender-tailored experiences for ethnic-racial and sexual/gender minoritized youth. The pilot randomized controlled trial will enroll about 26 adolescents (ages 13–18) hospitalized for suicide-related crises and randomize them to enhanced usual care with CBT worksheets versus the same care plus one or more PrESR VR sessions. The study will measure feasibility, acceptability, and barriers/facilitators during hospitalization and again three weeks after discharge. Targeted enrollment seeks at least 16 participants who identify as ethnic, racial, sex, or gender minoritized to inform tailoring and implementation.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adolescents aged 13–18 who are currently hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or behaviors, can understand English, have clinician approval, and do not have active psychosis or intellectual disability are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Patients with active psychosis, intellectual disability, high risk of cybersickness, or who are not hospitalized at the study site or cannot complete procedures in English are unlikely to benefit from this pilot.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could help teens build real-world coping and social skills in a safe setting, possibly easing school reintegration and reducing post-discharge distress.
How similar studies have performed: Virtual reality has shown promise for exposure and social-skills training in other mental health contexts, but co-designed VR targeting suicidal adolescents in inpatient settings is novel and lacks large-scale trial evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Current hospitalization for suicidal thoughts and behaviors * Ages 13-18 * Clinician approval * Ability to speak, read, and understand English sufficiently to complete study procedures * Consent of a parent/legal guardian (in English or Spanish; for minor participants) * Adolescent assent or consent (in English) Exclusion Criteria: * Evidence of active psychosis * Evidence of intellectual disability * Risk for cybersickness (greater or equal to 50th percentile as measured on the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire).
Where this trial is running
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- UNC Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit — Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Marisa Marraccini, PhD — University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.