Deborah Moon and John Wallace
Title: Renew Your Mind: A Feasibility Study to Disseminate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Techniques through Black churches to promote the Positive Mental Health of African American Populations
Funder: The Center for Research on Innovations in Services and Equity in Mental Health (RISE-MH) & Center for Race and Social Problems (CRSP)
About the Project: Renew Your Mind is a CBT-based and spiritually informed mental health training curriculum developed to help African American faith leaders to better serve the mental health needs of their congregational members. This study will implement Renew Your Mind for faith leaders from 8 African American churches in Homewood and evaluate its preliminary effects on participants’ knowledge of core CBT skills and attitudes toward mental health promotion and treatment. The study will also examine faith leaders’ acceptability and perceptions of the feasibility of implementing and sustaining Renew Your Mind in Black churches. Ultimately, the study seeks to promote positive mental health among African American communities by increasing access to evidence-based strategies to manage mental distress through cultural tailoring and integration of spirituality. Read more about the project here.