ArticleFrontiers in psychology2026
Effectiveness of virtual reality-based intervention for adolescent depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial protocol.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The prevalence of depressive disorders among adolescents has been increasing in recent years, significantly impairing emotional development and social functioning. Although conventional treatments, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, have demonstrated effectiveness, limitations such as poor adherence and restricted therapeutic settings remain. Virtual reality (VR) technology, which provides immersive and interactive environments, has shown promising potential in the treatment of mental disorders. However, high-quality evidence regarding its effectiveness in adolescents with depressive disorders remains limited. Methods: Protocol version 1.0, January 2026. This study is designed as a single-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 72 adolescents with depressive disorder who meet the eligibility criteria will be recruited and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the control group. Participants in the control group will receive usual care, while those in the intervention group will receive additional VR-based intervention for 4 weeks (three sessions per week, approximately 25 min per session). Assessments will be conducted at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and follow-up (T2). The primary outcome is the change in the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24) score from T0 to T1. Secondary outcomes include the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale-14 (HAMA-14), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, and LF/HF). Data will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models under the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: This study will systematically evaluate the clinical effectiveness of VR-based intervention in adolescents with depressive disorder, as well as its impact on emotional symptoms, cognitive function, and autonomic nervous system activity. The findings are expected to provide evidence-based support for the application of VR technology in adolescent mental health care. Trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2500114846.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.