# The Chiron Project: Using Virtual Reality to Prevent Substance Use Disorder in Healthcare Workers Facing Burnout

> **NIH NIH R43** · SEE YOURSELF HEALTH, LLC · 2024 · $294,489

## Abstract

PROJECT Summary: The Chiron Project: Using Virtual Reality to Prevent Substance Use
Disorder in Healthcare Workers Facing Burnout
Stress and burnout at the workplace are associated with increases in substance abuse and
alcohol consumption, and the healthcare setting has been widely studied as an example of a
field with exceptional rates of burnout and workplace stress. Astonishingly, nearly 50% of
physicians and 62% of nurses in the US are affected by burnout. Despite the magnitude of this
problem, fully 2/3 of physicians report no access to workplace services offering relief from
overwhelming stress and burnout in part due to burnout-related stigma. It is indeed worrisome
that options to serve those in need are few and the cost of clinicians leaving the healthcare field
is estimated at $990K per physician exit and $4.6B per year. To address the worsening
epidemic of workplace stress and burnout in healthcare settings, See Yourself Health proposes
to develop The Chiron Project workspace platform, an immersive virtual care and collaboration
workspace access with mobile devices or VR headsets that enables health professionals group
educational programs to master self-compassion, resilience and self-management skills, access
confidential peer support, and receive timely evidence-based care to better cope with burnout
and avoidance of alcohol and substance use disorders. Phase I Project Goal: We aim to assess
the feasibility and usability of The Chiron Project. Specific Aim 1: To build the SYH immersive
world platform to address workplace stress and burnout using virtual reality and WebXR gaming
technology with telehealth capabilities and tailored educational content in mindful self-
compassion. Specific Aim 2: To test the usability of The Chiron Project platform using Rapid
Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) with 30 health professionals. Specific Aim 3: To test the
feasibility of using The Chiron Project for health professionals over a 2-week period in a real-life
setting. Plan for Phase II: We aim to assess the comparative effectiveness and implementation
potential of the Chiron Project platform in a fully powered hybrid clinical trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11008046
- **Project number:** 1R43DA054867-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** SEE YOURSELF HEALTH, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Ronald Irwin Harris
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $294,489
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11008046

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11008046, The Chiron Project: Using Virtual Reality to Prevent Substance Use Disorder in Healthcare Workers Facing Burnout (1R43DA054867-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11008046. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*