Enhancing empathy and attitudes toward dementia among formal caregivers through virtual reality: a randomized controlled trial.

Background and Objectives: Enhancing empathy and attitudes among formal caregivers is essential for improving dementia care quality. However, traditional educational approaches often lack the emotional depth needed to foster person-centered care. The primary objective was to evaluate whether an immersive virtual reality (VR) intervention produced greater improvements than a traditional lecture-based education program in empathy and dementia attitudes; secondary outcomes were caregiver burden and psychological distress. Research Design and Methods: This parallel-group randomized controlled trial involved 160 formal caregivers randomly assigned to an immersive VR intervention or a time-matched lecture-based comparator. The intervention was delivered as a single 3-hr session comprising three consecutive VR segments, each followed by guided small-group reflection, with brief breaks between segments. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and at 1 month. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle using generalized estimating equations. Results: The VR intervention group exhibited greater improvements in empathy (2.21, 95% CI: 0.42-4.01, Discussion and Implications: A single-session, multi-segment VR program can produce immediate improvements in empathy and attitudes toward dementia compared with lecture-based education. As effects were not maintained at 1 month, implementation may pair modular VR with low-burden refreshers to support durability while maintaining feasibility. Future research should compare delivery schedules and assess longer-term and behavioral outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT06072274.