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

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07009795

Lillian Haley, PhD40 enrolled

Overview

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.

Rise \& Renew (Remembering, Expressing, Navigating, Embracing, Witnessing) is a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) using a waitlist control design to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a culturally responsive hybrid grief support program for Black women aged 40 and older who have experienced the death of a spouse/significant other, parent, or child (including pregnancies). This study addresses critical gaps in bereavement support for Black women, who often face intersecting emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs. The Rise \& Renew program is rooted in wellness practices, spiritual care, and culturally grounded healing rituals. Study Design After completing the baseline assessment, participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups using a computer-generated randomization sequence: * Group A (Intervention Group): Will participate in an in-person weekend retreat and begin the 12-week Rise \& Renew virtual support program immediately. * Group B (Waitlist Control Group): Will attend the same in-person retreat but will delay participation in the 12-week virtual program for 12 weeks. This staggered model allows researchers to examine short-term changes in well-being and grief outcomes while providing all participants access to the full intervention. Intervention Description Rise \& Renew is a 12-week hybrid grief support program designed to affirm the cultural identity, spirituality, and healing traditions of Black women. The program consists of: * One In-Person Weekend Retreat: Focused on wellness, healing rituals, community building, and expressive arts. * 10 Weekly Virtual Support Sessions: Co-facilitated by a professional with group facilitation expertise and a Black faith leader. Session themes include: * Grief and emotional healing * Spiritual and personal growth * Financial empowerment * Self-care and wellness * Building social support networks Recruitment and Eligibility The study is open to self-identified Black women aged 40 and older, living 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, and West Virginia. Recruitment will be conducted via digital outreach, including phone calls, text messages, and a study webpage. Data Collection This study uses a mixed-methods approach to collect both quantitative and qualitative data: * Needs Assessment Survey: Conducted before the retreat to gather information on participants' unique needs and expectations, allowing facilitators to tailor the program accordingly. * Baseline: Participants will complete a pre-intervention survey in Qualtrics assessing grief, stress, depression, physical wellness (including self-reported blood pressure and weight), social support, and financial resilience. * Post-Intervention: Surveys and optional focus groups/interviews will assess perceived benefits, changes in well-being, and overall program satisfaction. All participants will be invited to join Part 2 (10-week support group) after the retreat, regardless of initial group assignment. Participation is voluntary, and no compensation will be provided.

Interventions

Rise & Renew Hybrid Grief Support ProgramBEHAVIORAL

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.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 40 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 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 Exclusion Criteria: * 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

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

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.

Time frame: 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.

Time frame: 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.

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

Secondary Outcomes

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

The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief COPE) is a 28-item self-report questionnaire used to assess a person's coping strategies in response to stress. The Brief COPE includes 14 subscales, each with 2 items, scored on a 4-point Likert scale with scores ranging from 0 to 3. Whether higher scores are better or worse depends on the subscale being interpreted.

Time frame: 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

The Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE) is designed to assess the extent to which individuals use religious coping in response to stress. The 14 items measure both positive and negative forms of religious coping. Items are on a 4-point Likert scale that ranges from 1 to 4. Higher PRC scores indicate greater use of positive religious coping. Higher NRC scores indicate greater use of negative religious coping.