JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Adolescents and young adults face rising rates of depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Conventional treatments often show limited engagement. Virtual reality (VR) exergaming combined with music–movement synchrony may offer a novel approach to improve social connectedness, intrinsic motivation, and psychological well-being.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a VR music–movement exergaming intervention for improving social connectedness and mental health outcomes in adolescents and young adults.

Methods:

A three-arm randomized controlled trial will enroll 110 participants aged 18–24 years. Participants will be randomized (1:1:1) to (1) VR music–movement exergaming, (2) traditional exercise (active control), or (3) waitlist control. The intervention lasts 6 weeks (two 45-min sessions/week). Assessments will occur at baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (week 6, T1), and at follow-up (week 10, T2). Primary outcomes are depressive and anxiety symptoms (BDI-II, BAI) and loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale). Secondary outcomes include cardiorespiratory fitness (YMCA 3-min step test VO₂max estimate), interpersonal synchrony metrics, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Analyses will use linear mixed models under an intention-to-treat framework with multiple imputation for missing data.

Results:

This is a protocol; no results are reported. Recruitment will commence after ethics approval and trial registration and is expected to be completed within 10–12 months of trial initiation.

Conclusions:

This protocol outlines an innovative VR-based exergaming intervention integrating music–movement synchrony. The study has the potential to advance digital therapeutics for adolescent and young adult mental health. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov (registration pending prior to first participant enrollment).