Virtual Reality for Vocational Recovery

NCT07114887 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: ORY-P05-24-31
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

Unemployment is higher among young people who experience mental ill-health compared to the general population. This can have a lasting impact on young people, many of whom are highly motivated to gain employment and education. There are many challenges to seeking, gaining, and maintaining employment for young people. To address these challenges and help young people meet their employment and education goals, investigators have developed a VR intervention to support vocational skill building. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety, of the Virtual Reality for Vocational Recovery (VR4VR) intervention. A small group of vocational specialists will support up to 20 young people with their vocational outcomes using VR4VR over a 3-6week period. Both young people and specialists will complete questionnaires related to acceptability of the intervention, including qualitative interviews. Data on feasibility and safety will also be collected. Results will inform whether VR is feasible, acceptable, and safe to support vocational outcomes within vocational services that support young people with mental health difficulties, potentially supporting further intervention development and larger trials.

Conditions

Mental Health Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Feasibility - recruitment rates

  Rates of recruitment for the study (young people and vocational and service staff) based on an audit of study enrolment

  6 months post intervention commencement

• Acceptability

  Acceptability as measured by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability Measure delivered to young people and vocational specialists. Total mean score across the 7 TFA items will be reported, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating greater acceptability.

  6 weeks post intervention commencement

• Safety - adverse events

  The number of serious adverse events specifically related to the intervention or trial

  6 weeks post intervention commencement

• Feasibility - consent rates

  Rates of consent for the study (young people and vocational and service staff) based on an audit of consent logs

  6 months post intervention commencement

Secondary Outcomes (14)

• Feasibility - attendance rates of assessments and sessions

  6 weeks post intervention commencement

• Feasibility - delivery of VR4VR

  6 months post intervention commencement

• Feasibility - VR utilisation

  6 months post intervention commencement

• Acceptability - cybersickness

  6 weeks post intervention commencement

• Acceptability - VR presence

  6 weeks post intervention commencement

Study Arms (1)

Virtual reality for vocational recovery

EXPERIMENTAL

Within standard vocational care, young people will receive a three-session (optional 4th) virtual reality training intervention to address key challenges associated with educational and employment attainment and maintenance. Session 1: Approaching potential employers Session 2: Asking for reasonable adjustments Session 3: Managing customers

Behavioral: Virtual reality for vocational recovery

Interventions

Virtual reality for vocational recovery BEHAVIORAL

Intervention is an immersive virtual reality (VR) intervention, delivered through a VR headset, supported by a trained vocational specialist. Intervention content was co-designed with young people with mental health and vocational challenges, and vocational specialists with experiencing supporting this population. Content was guided by goals of vocational programs, including Individual Placement and Support.

Also known as: VR4VR

Virtual reality for vocational recovery

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may not qualify if:

• They lack fluency in English (spoken and written), since this is required to understand participate in the VR intervention;
• They have a known diagnosis of a moderate intellectual disability, due to some of the content delivered during the intervention requiring a certain level of understanding.
• As the therapy uses audio and visual means of communication, participants with impairments so severe that they cannot hear instructions, or are unable to see the virtual reality environments, cannot participate. Mild impairments can be accommodated, as sound volume can be turned up, and the Meta Quest headband is used to comfortably use glasses with the headset.
• Presently work within a vocational program and hold a caseload of young people
• Have worked with at least 5 young people within a vocational intervention.
• Sufficient command of the English language
• Consent to audio recording of interview
• Presently work within a role supporting a vocational program
• Sufficient command of the English language
• Consent to audio recording of interview

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Orygen: lead
• TAL Community Foundation: collaborator
• University of Melbourne: collaborator

Study Sites (3)

Veritas House

Orange, New South Wales, 2800, Australia

Location

Orygen Specialist Services

Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia

Location

Youth Focus Burswood

Perth, Western Australia, 6056, Australia

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Jennifer Nicholas, PhD

  University of Melbourne

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jennifer M Nicholas, PhD

CONTACT

+61399669235; jennifer.nicholas@orygen.org.au

James Whiting

CONTACT

+61399669173; james.whiting@orygen.org.au

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 8, 2025
• First Posted: August 11, 2025
• Study Start: August 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2025
• Study Completion: December 1, 2025
• Last Updated: August 11, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

AU (3)