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Healthcare providers in high-demand clinical settings are at high risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to patient trauma, which can compromise well-being and quality of care. Compassion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CF-CBT) can reduce stress and enhance self-compassion, but traditional delivery is time- and resource-intensive. This project evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-enhanced CF-CBT specifically adapted for healthcare providers experiencing vicarious trauma. Grounded in Neff's self-compassion framework (emphasizing self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) the VR intervention provides 8 immersive environments where participants can practice compassion-focused skills, engage in procedural learning, and regulate emotional responses in real time.
The study will be conducted at UC San Diego Health using a two-arm randomized design comparing VR-enhanced CF-CBT with self-guided compassion-focused CBT/mindfulness exercises delivered without VR. Participants will complete 8 brief VR interventional sessions (approximately 6-10 minutes each) over 4-6 weeks. Outcomes include self-compassion, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, measured using validated instruments. Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated through recruitment, retention, session completion, engagement, and participant feedback.
Findings will provide preliminary evidence for VR-enhanced compassion-focused interventions as a scalable and accessible approach to supporting healthcare providers' emotional well-being in demanding clinical environments, and will inform future cultural adaptation and implementation in low-resource and conflict-affected healthcare settings such as those in post-war zones.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality enhanced Compassion Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Active Comparator | This arm will receive a fixed number of immersive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets. |
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| Control Group | Placebo Comparator | This arm will receive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy delivered via psychoeducational booklets. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets | Behavioral | The intervention group will undergo a fixed number of immersive compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via virtual reality headsets. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Self-compassion | Self-compassion will be assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), as it reflects a core therapeutic target of the CF-CBT-based techniques | Baseline assessment (T0), Post-Intervention assessment (T1), and 6 weeks post-intervention assessment (T2) |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Burnout | Burnout will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) | Baseline assessment (T0), Post-intervention assessment (T1), 6 weeks post-intervention (T2) |
| Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rawan Iriqat | Contact | (858) 534-2230 | ririqat@health.ucsd.edu |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Wael Al-Delaimy, PhD, MD | University of California, San Diego | Principal Investigator |
| Andre Faro, PhD | Universidade Federal de Sergipe | Study Chair |
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| Compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy app based booklet | Behavioral | This arm will receive the same order and frequency of compassion focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions delivered via digital booklets |
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Vicarious (secondary) trauma will be assessed using Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) with ProQOL-STS subscale, both of which are validated tools in healthcare settings, especially for providers exposed to chronic occupational stress and trauma
| Baseline assessment (T0), Post-intervention assessment (T1), 6 weeks post-intervention (T2) |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000077062 | Burnout, Psychological |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D013315 | Stress, Psychological |
| D001526 | Behavioral Symptoms |
| D001519 | Behavior |
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