Virtual Reality Lethal Means Safety Training

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Suicide, Attempted, Suicide, Completed, Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Training, Rural Health, Veterans

In brief

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to determine whether a virtual reality (VR) training program can help healthcare providers improve their skills in discussing suicide prevention and safe storage of firearms and medications with Veterans. The study will test whether VR training increases providers' self-efficacy, confidence, and comfort in conducting lethal means safety counseling, and whether it improves their intention to use these counseling practices in their clinical work. Researchers will compare healthcare providers who complete the VR training to those who complete a 2D video training to determine whether the VR approach is more effective. Participants will complete online surveys before and after the training and again three months later. They will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: VR training group: Participants use a VR headset to interact with a virtual Veteran patient in a simulated rural clinic and practice suicide prevention counseling skills; Video training group: Participants use the same headset to watch a \~10-minute 2D video depicting the lethal means safety counseling session. After the training, participants will also provide feedback about their experience, including how realistic and useful they found the training.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07219355

Run by

The University of Texas at Arlington

People needed

36

Starts

2026-02-23

Expected to finish

2026-09-30

Last updated by the study team

2026-06-24

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 18 or older
• healthcare providers serving rural Veterans in Texas (e.g., physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, healthcare case managers)
• English-speaking
• Able to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if…

• Self-reported pregnancy
• History of motor or balance disorders
• Color blindness
• Neurological or cognitive disorders
• Cardiovascular issues that may be worsened by VR use
• Use of cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, or hearing aids incompatible with VR equipment
• Significant discomfort in virtual reality environments (e.g., severe motion sickness, vertigo)

Where it is running

• University of Texas at Arlington — Arlington, Texas, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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