PRAY.COM for Mental Health and Well-Being Among University Students
A Faith-Based Mobile Application for Mental Health and Well-Being Among University Students: A Single-Arm Feasibility and Preliminary Effectiveness Trial
2 other identifiers
interventional
450
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This single-arm feasibility and preliminary effectiveness trial examines PRAY.COM, a faith and prayer mobile application (app), among university students. Enrolled students at Regent University are asked to use the app for at least 10 minutes per day for 8 weeks. Feasibility is assessed by app demand (≥70% weekly use benchmark) and acceptability (≥75% satisfaction benchmark). Preliminary effectiveness is assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks for mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress), well-being (loneliness, sense of purpose and meaning), and academic outcomes (time management confidence, school-life balance satisfaction, confidence managing academic challenges, feeling overwhelmed by academic responsibilities, classes missed due to mental health, difficulty concentrating, frequency of mental health negatively impacting academic performance, and difficulty completing coursework). Three analysis groups are examined: completers with confirmed objective app engagement (primary), all 8-week completers (secondary), and all enrolled participants using last observation carried forward imputation (tertiary).
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Sep 2025
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
September 3, 2025
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
November 21, 2025
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
December 1, 2025
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
March 19, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
March 24, 2026
CompletedMarch 25, 2026
March 1, 2026
3 months
March 19, 2026
March 23, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (2)
Acceptability (satisfaction)
Percentage of participants reporting satisfied or very satisfied; benchmark ≥75%
Measured at 4 weeks and 8 weeks
Demand
Percentage of participants reporting at least weekly app use; benchmark ≥70%
From enrollment to 4 and 8 weeks
Secondary Outcomes (15)
Perceived appropriateness
4 weeks and 8 weeks
Intent to continue use
4 weeks and 8 weeks
Depressive symptoms
Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Anixety
Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Stress
Baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
- +10 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (1)
PRAY.COM App
EXPERIMENTALParticipants were asked to used the PRAY.COM mobile app for at least 10 minutes per day for 8 weeks, with assessments at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.
Interventions
PRAY.COM is a nondenominational, Bible-based faith and prayer mobile application delivering daily prayers, guided meditations, scripture readings, bedtime stories, podcasts, and worship music. Participants were instructed to use the app for at least 10 minutes per day for 8 weeks but were not given specific instructions regarding which features to engage with.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Currently enrolled university student with a corresponding institutional email address (@edu)
- years of age or older
- US resident
- Able to read and understand English
- Willing to complete brief surveys including questions related to faith and faith-based practices
- Willing to download a faith and prayer mobile application onto a smartphone or tablet
You may not qualify if:
- Not a currently enrolled university student or does not have a corresponding institutional email address
- Less than 18 years of age
- Not a US resident
- Unable to read or understand English
- Not willing to complete surveys related to faith and faith-based practices
- Not willing to download a faith and prayer mobile application
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Fit Mindedlead
Study Sites (1)
PRAY.COM (Online Only)
Westlake Village, California, 91361, United States
Related Publications (3)
Laird B, Hook JN, Van Tongeren DR, Zuniga S, Hall T, Huberty J. The impact of using a faith and prayer mobile application, Pray. com, on mental health and well-being. Spirituality in Clinical Practice. 2025 Dec;12(4):502.
BACKGROUNDLaird B, Zuniga S, Hook JN, Van Tongeren DR, Joeman L, Huberty J. Mental Health and Well-Being in Racial or Ethnic Minority Individuals After Using a Faith and Prayer Mobile App (Pray.com): Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2024 Feb 2;8:e52560. doi: 10.2196/52560.
PMID: 38306173BACKGROUNDLaird B, Van Tongeren DR, Hook JN, Do B, Hall T, Huberty J. Exploring User Perceptions of a Mobile App for Religious Practices. J Relig Health. 2024 Jun;63(3):2068-2090. doi: 10.1007/s10943-024-02004-9. Epub 2024 Feb 15.
PMID: 38358455BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Jennifer Huberty, PhD
Fit Minded
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- NA
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- SUPPORTIVE CARE
- Intervention Model
- SINGLE GROUP
- Sponsor Type
- INDUSTRY
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Chief Science Officer
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
March 19, 2026
First Posted
March 24, 2026
Study Start
September 3, 2025
Primary Completion
November 21, 2025
Study Completion
December 1, 2025
Last Updated
March 25, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-03
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
Individual participant data will not be publicly shared. De-identified data may be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.