Virtual Reality for Enhancing Self Compassion and Reducing Burnout Among Healthcare Providers

Healthcare providers in high‐demand clinical settings are at high risk for burnout andsecondary traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to patient trauma, which cancompromise well‐being and quality of care. Compassion‐focused cognitive behavioraltherapy (CF‐CBT) can reduce stress and enhance self‐compassion, but traditional deliveryis time‐ and resource‐intensive. This project evaluates the feasibility, acceptability,and potential effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)‐enhanced CF‐CBT specifically adaptedfor healthcare providers experiencing vicarious trauma. Grounded in Neff'sself‐compassion framework (emphasizing self‐kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness)the VR intervention provides 8 immersive environments where participants can practicecompassion‐focused skills, engage in procedural learning, and regulate emotionalresponses in real time.The study will be conducted at UC San Diego Health using a two‐arm randomized designcomparing VR‐enhanced CF‐CBT with self‐guided compassion‐focused CBT/mindfulnessexercises delivered without VR. Participants will complete 8 brief VR interventionalsessions (approximately 6‐10 minutes each) over 4‐6 weeks. Outcomes includeself‐compassion, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, measured using validatedinstruments. Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated through recruitment,retention, session completion, engagement, and participant feedback.Findings will provide preliminary evidence for VR‐enhanced compassion‐focusedinterventions as a scalable and accessible approach to supporting healthcare providers'emotional well‐being in demanding clinical environments, and will inform future culturaladaptation and implementation in low‐resource and conflict‐affected healthcare settingssuch as those in post‐war zones.