ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2025
A virtual-reality based intervention on thoughts of the future self to reduce negative affect, depression, and suicidal ideation: protocol for a feasibility and acceptability randomized controlled pilot trial (FutureU for Mental Health).
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Stimulating Future-Oriented Thinking and Goal-Achievement Through the Future Self Using Virtual Reality and a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- Psychometric validation and predictive efficacy of a comprehensive depression risk model for undergraduates.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThinking about the future in a clear and detailed way is critical to daily life, generating meaning, motivation, and well-being overall. In depression and suicidal ideation (SI), executive functioning deficits can make future-oriented thinking (FT) particularly effortful. Many interventions address the quality of future thinking in depression and SI but are limited by the thoughts that a person can generate on their own. Finding ways to intervene on FT that do not rely fully on the overburdened cognitive processes of a person experiencing depression or SI may improve the efficacy of these interventions. The present pilot RCT investigates the feasibility, acceptability, and proof of concept for a novel virtual-reality (VR)-based intervention on thoughts of the future self (FutureU for Mental Health; FU-MH) to improve a person's ability to think about the future and to reduce symptoms of depression and SI.
methodsUsing a 4-month, randomized, controlled, participant-blind, add-on superiority trial with three parallel groups, we will evaluate the potential of a two-part VR-based intervention on thoughts of the future and the future self to reduce negative affect and depressive symptoms. We aim to recruit 60 participants and randomize them to either a control group, treatment group A, or treatment group B, where treatment groups are exactly the same with the exception of the order of presentation for intervention parts. Feasibility will be measured in terms of enrollment and retention, as well as subjective measures of participant engagement and embodiment in VR. Acceptability will be measured through participant self-report. Proof of concept will be evaluated through the demonstration of the intended effect on targeted cognitive mechanisms, evidence of improvement in clinical outcomes, and evidence of efficacy among those with cognitive processing deficits. DISCUSSION: This study will provide valuable direction for further iterations of FutureU for Mental Health and a larger scale clinical trial. Implications of hypothesized outcomes include support for a novel intervention on thoughts of the future self in depression and SI, and VR as a novel medium of intervention and prevention in depression and SI.
trial registrationThis trial was preregistered with OSF Registries prior to the beginning of any data collection on October 9, 2022 (doi: https://osf.io/8c5n6 ).
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