| This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of a curriculum to impact A/B God-images, spiritual well-being, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms of 51 adults at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, LA. To our knowledge, it is the first study of its kind to evaluate the effectiveness of a church-based intervention attempting to positively impact spiritual and psychological outcomes. Participants were evaluated immediately before (T1) and immediately after (T2) the 2-day intervention. A repeated-measures MANOVA was conducted using time as the independent variable (T1 vs. T2) and authoritarian theological understanding of God, authoritarian personal experience of God, benevolent theological understanding of God, benevolent personal experience of God, spiritual well-being, self-reported depression symptoms, and self-reported anxiety symptoms as the dependent variables. This pilot study demonstrates preliminary evidence that a church-based curriculum can impact spiritual and psychological outcomes. The intervention improved participants' self-reported spiritual well-being and reduced self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms. Participants self-reported God images and concepts did not change. Several limitations existed with this study, including the lack of a control group; limited racial, denominational, and gender diversity amongst participants; the lack of a longitudinal assessment; and the lack of a manualized treatment protocol. Improving relationships and garnering trust with key stakeholders in the church will be pivotal prerequisites for future church-based psychological studies. Likewise, digital assessment measures and increased incentives for participants will also be important. Future research is needed to build upon the groundwork laid by this pilot study. |
