NCT07088367

Virtual Reality Meditation on Anxiety in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

The Effect of Virtual Reality Meditation on Anxiety Management in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 89 (actual)
• Sponsor: Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does VR meditation, delivered through virtual reality glasses and the MediboothVR application, effectively reduce anxiety in cancer patients during chemotherapy? Is there a meaningful difference in anxiety reduction between the VR intervention groups and the control group? Researchers will compare two intervention groups using VR glasses-one with guided meditation and one with calming video content-to a control group receiving standard care, to see if there are differences in anxiety levels. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to one of three groups Attend their scheduled chemotherapy sessions Depending on group assignment, either: Use VR glasses with the MediboothVR meditation app for 10 minutes daily Use VR glasses to watch calming 360-degree nature videos for 10 minutes daily Receive standard care with no VR use All participants will complete anxiety questionnaires and have their vital signs recorded before and after each session.

Detailed description

This clinical trial includes three parallel groups: a VR meditation group, a VR video group, and a control group. Participants in the VR meditation group will receive a 10-minute virtual reality (VR) guided meditation session on three consecutive days, between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. The sessions will be delivered using virtual reality glasses and the MediboothVR application. A different meditation video will be used each day. The MediboothVR application is the first immersive virtual reality meditation app developed in Türkiye and is also the first to support the Turkish language. It provides audio-guided meditation in a 360-degree artificial environment through virtual reality glasses. Each meditation video lasts approximately 10 minutes. Sessions begin with a short period for environmental observation, followed by a journey sequence that transports the user to a dedicated meditation area. A silhouette then appears and delivers the guided meditation experience through structured audio. Participants in the VR video group will also use virtual reality glasses for 10 minutes each day, over three consecutive days, during the same time frame. Instead of meditation, they will watch 360-degree calming nature videos. A different video will be shown each day to support relaxation through immersive visual content. These videos were selected to promote relaxation and included high-definition panoramic visuals such as forests, oceans, waterfalls, and mountain landscapes. Each day, a different video was used to maintain novelty and reduce visual fatigue. Although no verbal instructions were provided, the rich sensory environment was designed to offer a passive but calming distraction from the clinical setting. Participants in the control group will receive standard nursing care without any VR-based intervention. After data collection is completed, participants in the control group will be offered the opportunity to experience the VR content, but their responses will not be included in the study analysis.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Virtual reality meditation	This intervention involves immersive virtual reality (VR)-based guided meditation sessions using MediboothVR, the first Turkish-language supported virtual reality meditation application developed in Türkiye. It is distinct from other VR interventions in the following ways: Cultural and language adaptation: MediboothVR is fully available in Turkish, providing culturally relevant audio-guided content. This makes it more accessible and emotionally resonant for Turkish-speaking participants, unlike many VR applications designed in other languages. Duration and consistency: The intervention is delivered over three consecutive days, with a different video used each day, each lasting approximately 10 minutes. Technical delivery: The application is used exclusively via VR headsets, creating a fully immersive experience that eliminates visual and auditory distractions from the hospital environment.
BEHAVIORAL	Virtual Reality Videos	This intervention involves the use of a virtual reality headset to present immersive 360-degree calming nature videos to participants. It is distinct from other video- or relaxation-based interventions in several key ways: Delivery via VR headset: Unlike standard video-based relaxation interventions presented on screens or tablets, this method delivers video content in a fully immersive virtual reality environment, which blocks out external visual and auditory stimuli from the unit. Non-guided and passive exposure: The video group receives no audio-guided instruction or meditation scripting, making it a purely visual and passive exposure intervention. Cultural relevance and visual neutrality: The nature videos are non-verbal, visually neutral, and free of religious, symbolic, or emotionally provocative imagery, allowing them to be suitable for a diverse patient population.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-04-01
• Primary completion: 2025-02-01
• Completion: 2025-03-01
• First posted: 2025-07-28
• Last updated: 2025-07-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)