Developing Resilience in Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals - Exploring the Impact of Social Challenges in the Metaverse

Last updated: July 29, 2025
Sponsor: University of Bucharest
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

N/A

Condition

N/A

Treatment

Metaverse group

Online asynchronously

Clinical Study ID

NCT06959992
123/01.10.2024
  • Ages 18-65
  • All Genders
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of conducting a support group in the Metaverse designed to develop and/or improve resilience in gender diverse people. By exploring the impact of different social challenges in a virtual environment, the main question it aims to answer is whether this approach on conducting support group sessions with gender diverse people will strengthen their resilience and associated abilities (self-compassion) compared to a control group and a waitlist.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Gender diverse people with a stable gender-identity or questioning

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Formally diagnosed with a mental disorder

  • Not being part of the gender minority population

  • Younger than 18

Study Design

Total Participants: 45
Treatment Group(s): 2
Primary Treatment: Metaverse group
Phase:
Study Start date:
September 01, 2025
Estimated Completion Date:
February 28, 2026

Study Description

The gender diverse population is inclined toward online expression as a way to connect with the community and to explore ways of handling stigma from harsh environments that they live in. The potential beneficial effects of conducting a support group to build resilience and self-compassion, with members from the gender minority community in a virtual environment, allowing the expression of gender identity through avatar customization and social interaction are being tested in the form of a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT). There are three conditions: the virtual group (enrolling in a Metaverse platform with immersive features), the standard group (enrolling in an online forum platform) and the waitlist group.

The study is a between-subjects design with three arms and involves comparisons between pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up between: (a) Initial psychological states of the participants, (b) Mid-session, (c) After the support group sessions and (d) At follow-up (3 months). Participants will be randomly allocated to one of the three experimental arms.

For small-medium effect sizes assumed (f = 0.20), 3 groups and 4 measurements in time (pre- and post-intervention and one follow-up), a repeated measure analyzing between-within factors a minimum of 45 participants (total sample size) are needed. A target of 123 people (41 per group) has been set to allow for potential dropouts (~20%).

The group sessions should be re-run several times as the chosen Metaverse platform and the general recommendations for conducting support groups limit the number of participants to 7-8 people/group.

Connect with a study center

  • University of Bucharest

    Bucharest, 050663
    Romania

    Active - Recruiting

Map preview placeholder

Not the study for you?

Let us help you find the best match. Sign up as a volunteer and receive email notifications when clinical trials are posted in the medical category of interest to you.