A Virtual Reality Brief Violence Intervention: Preventing Gun Violence Among Violently Injured Adults

NCT ID: NCT06239285

Last Updated: 2025-06-08

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

220 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-02-26

Study Completion Date

2026-10-31

Brief Summary

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The overall aim of the proposed project is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of Brief Violence Intervention-Virtual Reality (BVI-VR) for reducing firearm-related violence, re-injury, and mortality among victims of violence. Outcome measures of firearm-related violence will come from multiple sources, including criminal background checks, hospital data, state-level data, semi-structured clinical assessments, and self-report assessments. In addition, the study aims to understand the impact of BVI-VR on psychosocial mediators resulting in a reduction of firearm-related violence. This will include self-report surveys, neurocognitive assessments, and clinical assessments. The economic efficiency of BVI-VR as a firearm-related violence intervention will also evaluated. To achieve these aims, a randomized control trial (RCT) in a large sample of violently injured adults (18+ years) from VCU Health will be conducted.

Detailed Description

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Brief Violence Intervention-Virtual Reality (BVI-VR) is being developed as a hospital-based brief gun violence intervention program founded on the principles of positive psychology, motivational goal setting (via gameplay), psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. This proposal will develop five steps to create a 30-minute brief firearm-related violence intervention. The five steps address a range of psychosocial risk factors and enhance protective factors for violence, as well as psychoeducational programming specifically addressing the risk of firearm violence. All steps of the BVI-VR emphasize being in control of making positive choices, and how to locate and leverage opportunities within their communities to improve their well-being. BVI-VR empowers patients to be the driver of their well-being.

Conditions

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Violence

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

A randomized control trial (RCT) in a large sample of violently injured adults (18+ years) from VCU Health.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Treatment as Usual (TAU) Group

The treatment-as-usual (TAU) group will receive a community resource brochure (the same one that is provided at the end of BVI-VR). This brochure provides contact detail for services in the local area.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Intervention Type OTHER

group will receive a community resource brochure (the same one that is provided at the end of BVI-VR). This brochure provides contact detail for services in the local area. These include organizations that provide mental health counseling, mentorship services, career development programs, organized community activities and sports, educational support, financial support, substance abuse programs, and resource assistance (e.g., food, housing, etc.).

Intervention Group

Patients randomized into the BVI-VR group will answer questions about the session content and the rationale for the content. Their responses will provide an estimate of engagement providing a better understanding of treatment fidelity.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Brief Violence Intervention VR (BVI-VR)

Intervention Type DEVICE

BVI-VR is being developed as a hospital-based brief gun violence intervention program founded on the principles of positive psychology, motivational goal setting (via gameplay), psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. All steps of the BVI-VR emphasize being in control of making positive choices, and how to locate and leverage opportunities within their communities to improve their well-being. BVI-VR empowers patients to be the driver of their well-being

Interventions

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Brief Violence Intervention VR (BVI-VR)

BVI-VR is being developed as a hospital-based brief gun violence intervention program founded on the principles of positive psychology, motivational goal setting (via gameplay), psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. All steps of the BVI-VR emphasize being in control of making positive choices, and how to locate and leverage opportunities within their communities to improve their well-being. BVI-VR empowers patients to be the driver of their well-being

Intervention Type DEVICE

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

group will receive a community resource brochure (the same one that is provided at the end of BVI-VR). This brochure provides contact detail for services in the local area. These include organizations that provide mental health counseling, mentorship services, career development programs, organized community activities and sports, educational support, financial support, substance abuse programs, and resource assistance (e.g., food, housing, etc.).

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* violently injured patients from VCU's Level 1 Trauma Center
* 18 years or older
* English-speaking

Exclusion Criteria

* Under 18 years old
* Not a victim of Violent crime
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

Virginia Commonwealth University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Nicholas Thomson

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Virginia Commonwealth University

Locations

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Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Nicholas Thomson

Role: CONTACT

(804) 297-5740

Facility Contacts

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Nicholas Thomson

Role: primary

804-297-5740

Other Identifiers

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R01CE003625

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

HM20027823_Thomson

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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