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Investigation of the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) Hypnosis in Improving Poor Sleep Among Chinese Childhood Cancer Survivors
Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Summary
The study aims to examine the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) hypnosis for improving sleep in among Chinese childhood cancer survivors. Investigators will conduct a three-arm mixed-methods randomized controlled trial (RCT) among 186 Chinese Childhood Cancer Survivors (CCCs). The three groups are VR hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and VR relaxation. The VR hypnosis intervention contains six 30-minute sessions conducted by a clinical psychologist on 6 consecutive Saturdays in Hong Kong Children's Hospital (HKCH) or participants' home depend on participants' preference. Instead of treatment-as-usual and sleep hygiene groups, investigators will use the CBT-I as the active control because it is recommended as a first-line treatment for poor sleep. CBT-I group will have six 30-minute sessions in HKCH or home depend on participants' preference on six consecutive Saturdays. The VR relaxation group will allow us to distinguish the effects of VR from those of VR hypnosis, which has the same length and delivery mode as VR hypnosis, but without a hypnosis component. The study will be conducted at HKCH, which is the only hospital in HK that provides medical follow-ups for children with cancer. Data collection will be done at baseline, as well as immediately and 1, 3, and 6 months after completion of the intervention. Multiple assessment timepoints will capture changes over time.
Official title: Investigation of the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) Hypnosis in Improving Poor Sleep Among Chinese Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
12 Years - 18 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
186
Start Date
2026-01-01
Completion Date
2028-09-30
Last Updated
2025-12-12
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
VR hypnosis
Participants will individually complete VR hypnosis, comprising six 30-minute sessions, conducted by a clinical psychologist on 6 consecutive Saturdays in Hong Kong Children's Hospital or home depend on participants' preference. Participants will be asked to wear head-mounted glasses which can display different scenarios. The participant will select one scenario on the basis of preference. In phase 1 (induction), a narrator will ask the participant to complete various tasks, such as naming animals that participants see. In phase 2 (deepening), the glasses will continue to show the relaxing scenery, with the narrator guiding the participant to pay attention to their breathing and muscle movements. In phase 3 (suggestion), participants will be guided to change negative thoughts and behaviors arising in response to poor sleep. In phase 4 (reawakening), the participants will be guided to return to the peaceful scene with a renewed sense of focus, such that participants will sleep well.
VR relaxation
Participants will take part in a VR relaxation intervention supervised by a research assistant in Hong Kong Children's Hospital or participants' home depend on participants' preference, which comprises six 30-minute sessions, will be conducted on 6 consecutive Saturdays. The head-mounted display will show five relaxing scenarios (exploring an island, walking through a forest, observing different animals, climbing a mountain, and swimming in the sea), but without a hypnosis component.
CBT-I
It will have six 30-minute sessions delivered by a clinical psychologist in Hong Kong Children's Hospital or home depend on participants' preference on six consecutive Saturdays in a standard sequence: (1) psychoeducation which provides information on sleep, its function and characteristics, (2) sleep hygiene, in which guidelines that promote healthy sleep are followed, (3) stimulus control, which breaks the association between bedtime and anxiety by avoiding any activities in bed not related to sleep; (4) sleep restriction, which limits the amount of time in bed to increase the sleep drive, and (5) cognitive restructuring, which replaces negative thoughts of sleep with constructive thoughts; and (6) relaxation techniques that can quiet the mind and the body in preparation for sleep. A sleep diary will be provided along with handouts and worksheets for skill acquisition and practice.
Locations (1)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, Hong Kong