Virtual Reality Mindfulness to Boost Depression Treatment Results

This trial is testing whether combining esketamine (a medication already approved for hard-to-treat depression) with virtual reality-based mindfulness sessions works better than the medication alone. You'd receive the medication as usual, but half of participants will also do 10-minute guided mindfulness sessions in a virtual reality environment right before each dose. The researchers want to see if adding this mindfulness component helps people feel better and recover more fully.

Many people with severe depression don't respond well enough to standard antidepressants, and doctors don't have a clear best approach for these patients. While this medication has helped some people, researchers think combining it with a psychological tool like mindfulness might give patients a better chance at real improvement by working on both the brain chemistry and coping skills at the same time.