XR2ESILIENCE - XR-Based Resilience Training for Stress and Mental Health in Healthcare Workers

This study investigates the effectiveness of an extended reality (XR) based resilience training program designed to support the mental health and well-being of nurses working in hospital settings. Nurses are exposed to high emotional, cognitive, and organizational demands and show elevated levels of work-related stress and stress-associated mental health problems. Strengthening resilience and coping capacities is therefore an important preventive approach to support nurses' well-being and sustain quality of care. The study is conducted as a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with a waitlist control group and includes approximately 232 nurses from hospitals in several European countries. Participants are randomly assigned either to an XR-based resilience training group or to a waitlist control group that continues with care as usual during the waiting period. The XR-based intervention consists of eight immersive training sessions delivered over approximately ten weeks using a head-mounted display. The training focuses on behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies and aims to enhance key resilience factors such as problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, emotion regulation, and positive self-care. The primary outcome is perceived stress, assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. Secondary outcomes include resilience, occupational self-efficacy, quality of life, psychological distress, burnout symptoms, coping strategies, work-related rumination, and turnover intentions. Assessments are conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 20-week follow-up. In addition, a subgroup of participants will optionally provide physiological data during selected XR sessions to explore digital biomarkers related to stress and recovery. The findings of this study will provide evidence on the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptance of XR-based resilience training for nurses and inform future implementation of digital mental health interventions in healthcare workplaces.

NCT Number	NCT07544498
Lead Sponsor	Medical University of Graz Collaborators: MINDCONSOLE GMBH, Medizinische Privatuniversität Burgenland, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, University of Évora, Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany, Leuphana Universität Lünenberg, University of Lisbon, Sveti Ivan Psychiatric Hospital, mindconsole, PredictBy Research and Consulting, S.L, Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS)
Conditions	Occupational Stress, Work-Related Stress, Mental Health, Burnout, Resilience
Enrollment	232 participants
Start Date	2026-09
Primary Completion	2028-03 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-03 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-18