ArticleJMIR serious games2026
Effects of Virtual Nature Embodiment on Compassion, Empathy, Nature Connectedness, and Symptom Burden in Patients With Psychosis or Depression: An Explorative Clinical Study.
Article in JMIR serious games, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06446856 (EVEN - Effects of VR on Empathy for Nature in Patients with Psychosis and Depressive Disorders / Effekte Von Virtueller Realität), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.
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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.
EVEN - Effects of VR on Empathy for Nature in Patients with Psychosis and Depressive Disorders / Effekte Von Virtueller Realität (VR) Auf Naturverbundenheit Und Empathie in Patient:innen Mit Psychotischen Und Depressiven Erkrankungen
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Virtual reality in psychological interventions for mood disorders: a scoping review.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNature experiences may have a positive impact on mental health. Innovative alternatives, such as immersive virtual reality (iVR), can have similar effects. In previous studies on embodying a tree in virtual reality, connectedness to nature has been induced in healthy participants and shown to be influenced by compassion. Compassion and empathy, however, can be altered in psychiatric disorders, leading to impaired relationships with fellow human beings. The potential effect of nature experiences in iVR on compassion, empathy, and nature connectedness in mental health disorders has not yet been investigated.
objectiveThis study aims to examine the development of nature connectedness, compassion, empathy, and individual symptom load in patients with depression (n=20), schizophrenia (n=20), and healthy controls (n=20), measured pre and post 1 session of virtual embodying a rainforest tree.
methodsWe conducted an explorative clinical trial, comparing 3 groups (depression, schizophrenia, and healthy control), using repeated measures ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Effect sizes (η
resultsIndividual symptom load decreased significantly through the experience of embodying a growing tree in iVR in both patient groups (F
conclusionsOur results indicate that virtually embodying a tree seems to have a positive effect on individual symptoms. Patients with depression and schizophrenia were able to receive an iVR-based intervention and benefited from the experience. Our results provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of virtual body ownership of nature, a specific affordance of iVR, thereby laying the groundwork for future innovative body psychotherapy interventions for individuals with mental health disorders.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06446856; https://tinyurl.com/nhjar26p.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.