Exploring the Experience of Using a Prayer Mobile App

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Using a Faith and Prayer Mobile App, Pray.Com, on Mental Health and Well-being in a Sample of Racial/Ethnic Minorities

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore the feasibility and preliminary effects of using Pray.com on spiritual well-being and mental health symptoms in racial/ethnic minority adults. The main question it aims to answer is: What are the feasibility and preliminary effects of using Pray.com on spiritual well-being and mental health (stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms) in racial ethnic minority adults (i.e., individuals who identify as Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, or Multiracial)?

Participants will be given the Pray.com app and directed to use it daily. Participants will complete measures at baseline (i.e., time 1) and four-weeks (i.e., time 2). A smaller subset of participants will be asked to participate in a qualitative interview.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: No Specific Condition. Feasibility of Mobile App
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Prayer app

Detailed Description

Participants (N = 75) will be recruited through social media and various Christian organizations that serve racial/ethnic minorities. Participants will be over the age of 18 and identify as a racial/ethnic minority (i.e., individuals who identify as Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, or Multiracial). Participants also must be willing to participate in a study that involves engaging in a regular Christian religious practice and are willing to download the Pray.com app.

Eligible participants will be given the Pray.com app and directed to use it daily. Participants will complete measures at baseline (i.e., time 1) and four-weeks (i.e., time 2). At the end of the study participants will be randomly asked to participate in an interview (N = 15) which will take no longer than 60 minutes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 77
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • La Mirada, California, United States, 90637
      • Biola University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or older.
• Identify as a racial/ethnic minority (e.g., Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, Multiracial).
• Own a smart phone and be willing to download a mobile app.
• Willing to engage in a Christian-based religious practice on a mobile app.

Exclusion Criteria:

• n/a

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Prayer app; Participants will be given the Pray.com app and directed to use it daily.	Behavioral: Prayer app; Participants will be given the Pray.com app and directed to use it daily.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acceptability of Mobile App	9 questions created for the present study, Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 5, Higher scores reflect higher acceptability (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Demand for Mobile App	3 questions created for the present study, Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 5, Higher scores reflect higher demand (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Practicality of Mobile App	5 questions created for the present study, Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 5, Higher scores reflect higher practicality (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Minutes of App Use	How many minutes did the participant use the mobile app?	1 month
Days of App Usage	How many days did the participant use the mobile app?	1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Spiritual Well-being Scale	Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 6, Higher scores reflect higher spiritual well-being (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Satisfaction With Life Scale	Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 6, Higher scores reflect higher satisfaction with life (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Religious Commitment Inventory	Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 5, Higher scores reflect higher religious commitment (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Multiethnic Identity Measure	Minimum value: 1, Maximum value: 5, Higher scores reflect higher ethnic identity (i.e., better outcome)	1 month
Perceived Stress Scale	Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 5, Higher scores reflect higher stress (i.e., worse outcome)	1 month
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale	Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 3, Higher scores reflect higher anxiety/depression (i.e., worse outcome)	1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Biola University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Todd Hall, PhD, Biola University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 24, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 19, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): June 19, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 8, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 15, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): November 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 17, 2025
• Last Verified: September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: F22-013

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No