VR Mindfulness for People With HIV and Substance Use

NCT ID: NCT07088289

Last Updated: 2025-07-28

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-02-28
• Study Completion Date: 2027-06-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore whether a virtual reality (VR) mindfulness app is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for supporting people with HIV and substance use problems.

Participants will:

• Use a VR headset with a mindfulness app at home;
• Complete three online surveys over three months;
• Take part in an individual interview or focus group to share their experiences.

Conditions

HIV; Substance Use (Drugs, Alcohol)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

VR mindfulness

Participants in this arm will receive a virtual reality (VR) mindfulness intervention named TRIPP. TRIPP is a commercially available VR mindfulness app designed to promote relaxation, focus, and emotional well-being through immersive, guided experiences. The app combines visual and auditory stimulation, breathwork, meditation, and interactive elements to help users reduce stress and improve mood.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

TRIPP

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

In this study, participants will use TRIPP with a VR headset at home, engaging in short mindfulness sessions 3+ times per week for 4-12 weeks.

Interventions

TRIPP

In this study, participants will use TRIPP with a VR headset at home, engaging in short mindfulness sessions 3+ times per week for 4-12 weeks.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Able to speak, read, and write in English
• Aged 18 years or older
• Diagnosed with HIV
• Currently prescribed ART therapy
• Reporting moderate to high risk related to alcohol, opioids, nicotine, cannabis, or stimulant use (score of 4 or higher on the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test - ASSIST). Participants may also use other substances, but the primary risk must fall within these categories, as these have the strongest research support for mindfulness-based interventions.
• Having stable housing that allow using VR safely
• Willing to provide contact information for at least one person whom the study team can reach if the participant becomes unreachable after repeated attempts

Exclusion Criteria

• Living in institutionalized settings or unsheltered
• Terminal illness with a life expectancy of less than 6 months
• Planning to move out of the area in the next eight weeks
• Engaging in regular mindfulness practice outside of TRIPP
• Experiencing fear of closed spaces or unable to tolerate wearing a VR headset (verified during orientation session)
• Having visual or auditory impairments or severe physical disabilities that hinder VR use, history of seizures, severe cognitive impairment, severe motion sickness, severe unmanaged psychiatric symptoms, or currently pregnant
• Participants without home internet access will not be excluded and will be provided either funding for internet service or VR headsets preloaded with TRIPP sessions for offline use.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Tulane University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Audrey Hai

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Audrey Hang Hai, PhD

Role: CONTACT

ahai@tulane.edu

504-247-1457

Other Identifiers

R21DA061682

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2025-949

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id