Rise & Renew: Supporting Well-Being in Black Women After the Loss of a Loved One

NCT07009795 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: RN052025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is testing a new grief support program called Rise \& Renew (Remembering, Expressing, Navigating, Embracing, Witnessing) designed for Black women ages 40 and older who have experienced the loss of a close loved one, such as a spouse or significant other, parent, or child (including pregnancies). The program includes a weekend wellness retreat followed by 10 weeks of online group support. Participants will be randomly assigned to start weekly virtual sessions right away or after a 10-week delay. The study will help the investigators learn whether the program is helpful, easy to take part in, and meaningful for those who attend. The investigators believe that a culturally tailored program that focuses on healing, wellness, and community will improve emotional health, spiritual well-being, and resilience during the grief process.

Conditions

Well Being; Bereavement; Grief; Psychological Distress

Keywords

Bereavement; Faith-Based Support; Community-Based Intervention; Wellness; African American Women; Spirituality; Psychosocial Support Systems; Mental Health Intervention; Holistic Healing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)

  The 4-item Feasibility of Intervention Measure was developed for evaluating the success of feasibility, demonstrating encouraging psychometric properties. The items that are scored on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 indicates "completely disagree," and 4 indicates "completely agree". Thus, the range for each scale extends from 0 - 16, with higher scores indicating higher feasibility.

  From baseline to the end of the 10-week support group intervention

• Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)

  The 4-item Acceptability of Intervention Measure was developed for evaluating the success of acceptability, demonstrating encouraging psychometric properties. The items are scored on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 indicates "completely disagree," and 4 indicates "completely agree". Thus, the range for each scale extends from 0 - 16, with higher scores indicating higher acceptability.

  FroFrom baseline to the end of the 10-week support group intervention

• Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)

  The 4-item Acceptability of Intervention Measure was developed for measuring the perceived fit, relevance, or compatibility of the innovation or evidence-based practice for a given practice setting, provider, or consumer, and/or perceived fit of the innovation to address a particular issue or problem. The items are scored on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 indicates "completely disagree," and 4 indicates "completely agree". Thus, the range for each scale extends from 0 - 16, with higher scores indicating higher appropriateness.

  From baseline to the end of the 10-week support group intervention

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Change from Baseline in Coping Strategies Measured by the Brief COPE at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10 (end of intervention)

• Change from Baseline in Religious Coping Strategies Measured by the Brief RCOPE at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

• Change from Baseline in Depression Symptoms Measured by the PHQ-8 at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

• Change from Baseline in Perceived Social Support Measured by the MSPSS at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

• Change from Baseline in Posttraumatic Growth Measured by the PTGI at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

Other Outcomes (3)

• Change from Baseline in Group Cohesion Measured by the Group Climate Questionnaire (Sista Circle Edition) at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

• Change from Baseline in Afrocultural Communal Orientation Measured by the Revised Communalism Scale at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

• Change from Baseline in Whole Person Health Measured by the Whole Person Health Index (WPHI) at Week 10

  From baseline (Week 0) to Week 10

Study Arms (2)

Immediate Virtual Group Support

EXPERIMENTAL

Receives the in-person wellness retreat and begins the 10-week virtual support phase the following weekend.

Behavioral: Rise & Renew Hybrid Grief Support Program

Delayed Virtual Group Support

NO INTERVENTION

Attends the same in-person wellness retreat but does not begin the 10-week virtual support program until after a 10-week delay.

Interventions

Rise & Renew Hybrid Grief Support Program BEHAVIORAL

The Rise \& Renew Hybrid Grief Support Program is a culturally responsive, multi-component behavioral intervention designed specifically for Black women aged 40 and older who have experienced the loss of a spouse, parent, or child. It integrates wellness practices, grief support, spiritual care, and community healing in a hybrid format that includes both an in-person and virtual component. This intervention is distinguished by its cultural tailoring for middle-aged and older Black women, co-facilitation by both a trained facilitator and a faith-based leader, and its combination of expressive arts, spiritual guidance, and practical wellness strategies delivered in a hybrid format. It addresses grief holistically through emotional, physical, spiritual, and social dimensions, and emphasizes culturally relevant healing practices often overlooked in conventional grief programs.

Immediate Virtual Group Support

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 40 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Self-identifies as a Black or African American woman
• Aged 40 years or older at the time of enrollment
• Has experienced the death of a spouse, parent, or child (first-order bereavement)
• Resides in the U.S. South Region, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, or West Virginia
• Has access to a reliable internet connection and a device capable of running Zoom
• Is able to attend a 2-day in-person retreat in the Stone Mountain, GA area
• Is able and willing to participate in 10 weekly virtual group sessions
• Provides informed consent to participate in the study
• Agrees to complete pre- and post-intervention surveys

You may not qualify if:

• Has not experienced the death of a spouse, parent, or child
• Under the age of 40 at the time of enrollment
• Does not reside in the U.S. South Region
• Unable to attend the in-person retreat in Stone Mountain, GA
• Unwilling or unable to participate in weekly Zoom sessions
• Does not have access to the necessary technology for virtual sessions
• Does not provide informed consent
• Currently receiving intensive psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment that would conflict with participation
• Any condition or circumstance that, in the opinion of the investigators, may compromise the participant's ability to safely engage in the group setting

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lillian Haley, PhD: lead
• The Good Stewards Partnership: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Serenity Haven

Lithonia, Georgia, 30058, United States

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Jones, M. K., Davis, S. M., & Gaskin-Cole, G. (2023). An integrative review of sistah circles in empirical research. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 47(2), 159-179.

  BACKGROUND

• Neal-Barnett A, Stadulis R, Murray M, Payne MR, Thomas A, Salley BB. Sister Circles as a Culturally Relevant Intervention for Anxious African American Women. Clin Psychol (New York). 2011 Sep;18(3):266-273. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2850.2011.01258.x.

  PMID: 22081747 BACKGROUND

• Jones, M. K., Gaskin-Cole, G., & Reynolds, A. (2023). Masks off: A community-based psychoeducational group intervention with Black women. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 48(3), 212-228.

  BACKGROUND

• DiGuiseppi G, Rodriguez A, Qureshi N, Zeng C, Coulter ID, Hays RD, Herman PM, Edelen MO. Measuring Whole Person Health: A Scoping Review. J Integr Complement Med. 2025 Aug;31(8):684-704. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2024.0817. Epub 2025 Apr 3.

  PMID: 40180567 BACKGROUND

• Brown M, Glendenning A, Hoon AE, John A. Effectiveness of Web-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Relation to Mental Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2016 Aug 24;18(8):e221. doi: 10.2196/jmir.6200.

  PMID: 27558740 BACKGROUND

• Arnold KT, Mandell DS, Hankerson SH. Implementing a Grief Support Program in a Black Church to Support the Mental Health Needs of People in Bereavement. Psychiatr Serv. 2025 Jan 1;76(1):105. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20240259. Epub 2024 Oct 23. No abstract available.

  PMID: 39439280 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Risedronic Acid

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diphosphonates; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organic Chemicals; Pyridines; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: INDUSTRY
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Participants are randomly assigned to one of two different groups: * Immediate Virtual Group Support: Starts the 10-week virtual program within 10 days of completing the retreat. * Delayed Virtual Group Support: Delays the start of the 10-week virtual program by 10 weeks. These two groups run in parallel, with both participating in the wellness retreat weekend, followed by different timelines for receiving the 10-week virtual support group part of the intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 20, 2025
• First Posted: June 8, 2025
• Study Start: May 20, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 19, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 19, 2026
• Last Updated: December 30, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)