A Feasibility and Acceptability Study of Renew Your Mind

Background: African American churches have long served as a beacon for spiritual, emotional, and communal support; however, many lack structured training for church leaders to effectively address mental health needs within their congregations. This study evaluates "Renew Your Mind" (RYM), a culturally tailored intervention that equips church leaders with evidence-based mental health strategies integrating Scripture and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. The program aims to bridge gaps in mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and promote sustainable support systems in Black faith communities.

Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design was employed to assess RYM’s feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes. Quantitative pre/post surveys (N=20) measured changes in participants’ attitudes toward CBT indicated by the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ), knowledge of core CBT concepts and techniques, and confidence level in providing informal mental health support in their community (one item continuous scale ranging 0-10). Additionally, perceptions of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility were assessed using validated measures. Data were analyzed using paired samples t-tests. Qualitative focus groups (n=12) explored thematic insights on cultural relevance, attitude towards and use of intervention, implementation barriers, and expectancy impact. Rapid Qualitative Analysis was used with a thematic approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were merged to look for convergence and divergence of the themes regarding acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.

Results: Quantitative findings revealed statistically significant improvements in credibility and expectancy (t= -3.01, p < .001), CBT Awareness (t= -4.03, p<.001), and confidence level in providing informal mental health support (t-3.70; p<.001). The effect sizes for all three outcomes, as measured by Cohen’s D, indicated large effects. Qualitative themes highlighted: (1) positive attitude towards implementing the intervention as "buy-in from the Black faith communities”), (2) expected utility in “addressing Mental Health needs in the community” (3) “potential challenges or facilitators” in implementation, and (4) “recommendations regarding the intervention improvement”. Participants overwhelmingly endorsed RYM’s cultural congruence, with the majority recommending it to other congregations. Mixed method data analyses revealed a convergence, demonstrating a high level of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility in both quantitative and qualitative data.

Conclusions and Implications: RYM demonstrates promise as a scalable and culturally grounded model for addressing mental health concerns within Black faith communities. Findings underscore the need for collaborative partnerships between researchers, clinicians, and faith leaders to co-design interventions that honor cultural and spiritual contexts. Future research should examine RYM’s effectiveness in fully powered clinical trials with a comparison group and its longitudinal effects on congregants’ mental health outcomes.