NCT07483762

VR for Hope: A Brief VR Self-help Protocol to Enhance Hope and Well-being in Young Adults

VR for Hope: A Feasibility Study of a Brief Virtual Reality Self-Help Protocol to Foster Hope and Well-Being Among Young Adults

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a brief self-help protocol based on immersive Virtual Reality (VR) to promote hope and psychological well-being in young adults while enhancing their mentalization capacity. The intervention consists of five sessions. The first session will be conducted in person and features an immersive VR experience, while the subsequent sessions will be delivered in a self-help format via audio and video materials. The intervention is designed to guide participants through personal reflection on key aspects of individual experience, such as hope and the understanding of one's own and others' mental states. Participants will complete self-report questionnaires before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention to assess levels of hope, psychological well-being, and mentalization capacity.

Conditions

• Healthy Participants
• Young Adults

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	VR for Hope intervention	VR for Hope implements a structured five-session protocol delivered over one week, centered on an immersive metaphorical virtual scenario titled "The River and the Leaf." Each exercise is linked to a specific symbolic element of the digital environment. In every session, participants first explore the virtual scenario and then complete a brief 10-minute guided exercise delivered through a prerecorded audio track, focusing on a particular symbolic element of the environment. Session 1 is conducted in person using immersive virtual reality; after experiencing the VR scenario, participants are guided to identify their achieved goals and their personal resources. Sessions 2-5 are completed remotely via smartphone and lead participants through different metaphorical elements of the virtual experience (e.g., the serene river, the sinking and resurfacing leaf, and the rose garden) to reflect on personal experiences, obstacles, personal resources, mentalization, and future achievements.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-20
• Primary completion: 2026-05-01
• Completion: 2026-05-01
• First posted: 2026-03-19
• Last updated: 2026-03-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy