Virtual Reality Therapy for Antepartum Depression

Age: 18+

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

Perinatal depression is a growing public health crisis in the United States, affecting one in five individuals during pregnancy or postpartum. Mental health conditions contribute to 23% of maternal deaths, underscoring the urgent need for innovative interventions. Obstetric patients who experience complications requiring prolonged hospitalization are particularly vulnerable to mental health deterioration. Virtual reality (VR) has shown promise for expanding access, reducing barriers, and enhancing first-line depression treatment when paired with evidence-based psychotherapies such as behavioral activation (BA). However, traditional BA is not feasible for inpatients, as their hospitalization prevents participation in conventional in-person, mood-boosting activities; VR-enhanced BA (VR-BA) presents a novel opportunity to address this gap.

The goal of the study is to compare a 3-week VR-BA protocol to standard therapy (social work consultation) for hospitalized pregnant individuals with depressive symptoms. The objectives are to assess 1) whether VR-BA is acceptable, tolerable, and feasible in this population and 2) whether it leads to greater reductions in depressive symptoms compared to standard therapy.

Who Is on the Research Team?

Danielle M Panelli, MD MS

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for hospitalized pregnant individuals experiencing depression during pregnancy or postpartum. Participants should be open to virtual reality therapy and available for a 3-week treatment protocol.

Inclusion Criteria

I can read and write in English or Spanish.

Patients admitted to Stanford Children's Hospital antepartum unit for obstetric indications that are likely to warrant >3 weeks of hospitalization (such as vasa previa, preterm premature rupture of membranes, severe preeclampsia)

Baseline EPDS score on admission >=10 on routine screening

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with serious neuropsychiatric illness (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, epilepsy, or suicidal ideation)

Known delivery planned within the next 3 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Virtual Reality-enhanced Psychotherapy

Trial Overview The study tests if VR-enhanced behavioral activation (VR-BA) can help reduce depressive symptoms better than standard therapy, like social work consultations, in perinatal depression cases.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Virtual-Reality Behavioral Activation Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will receive the 3-week VR-BA psychotherapy. The VR-BA consists of 4 self-guided VR sessions per week and a weekly telemedicine guided BA session with a trained study team member via ZOOM (and Spanish interpreter, if required) lasting 30-50 minutes. This will be a total of 3 telemedicine-guided BA sessions and 12 self-guided VR sessions over the course of the study.

Group II: Standard of care Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will receive standard therapy during their antepartum hospitalization, which will include consultations with social workers and psychiatry physicians (if recommended by the social worker).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+