The Feasibility of the Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) Intervention-OUTPATIENT

NCT ID: NCT06580067

Last Updated: 2026-01-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-01-21
• Study Completion Date: 2027-06-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this research study is to reduce stress and improve sickle cell disease (SCD) pain control and sleep quality with less opioid use by determining the feasibility of an intervention with self-management combined intercessory and petitionary prayer, named Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) stress reduction intervention using a mobile smart device. Currently, opioid analgesics are primarily used to treat SCD pain while self-managed behavioral modalities such as PUSH, are rarely used. Little is known about the effects or mechanisms of PUSH on pain, stress, and sleep symptoms in adults with SCD. Emerging evidence from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis theory offer insights for understanding the mechanisms. Adding PUSH as a supplement to analgesic therapies will address the dearth of self-management strategies for controlling pain in SCD. PUSH is a simple and cost-effective non-drug intervention that could reduce pain and stress in inpatients with SCD. GR is an intervention where inpatients with SCD are directed to listen to the audio recordings of the PUSH prayer session.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this research study is to see if a new computerized stress reduction program, called Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) stress reduction intervention, can be used to teach people who have sickle cell disease (SCD) how to track their stress and pain daily and use guided audio-visual relaxation exercises to help them reduce their stress and pain. To obtain preliminary data for a larger randomized controlled trial, we propose to recruit 30 adult outpatients with SCD.

The investigators will stratify patients on worst pain intensity (<=5 and >5) and randomly assign 15 adults to Attention Control (Daily stress/pain tracking on Days 1-6) and 15 adults to Experimental (PUSH Prayer Fellowship on Day 1 and daily stress/pain tracking and PUSH intervention on Days 2-6) groups.

Immediate effects on pain, stress, and relaxation responses after the PUSH Prayer Fellowship will be examined. Patients will continue the trial for additional 6 days, with self-management on Days 2-6 and posttest on Day 7 while hospitalized to test short-term (7 days) effects of PUSH on outcomes (pain, stress, sleep quality, and opioid use).

During Days 2-6, the experimental group will participate in an audio/visual Zoom recorded prayer session that will be conducted specifically for each patient by the interventionist. Following the prayer session, the link to the recorded prayer is uploaded to the PAINReportIt program. Patients will access the recorded prayer session on Days 2-6. These patients will listen to the recorded PUSH prayer session at stress onset and as often as they desire. We will investigate mechanisms by which PUSH produces its effects in adult outpatients with SCD.

Conditions

Sickle Cell Disease; Stress; Pain

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) video clip

This intervention is a 30-minute petitionary prayer, named Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) stress reduction intervention using a mobile smart device.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Self-monitoring of outcomes + alerts/reminders + use of PUSH

Self-monitoring

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Self-monitoring of outcomes + alerts/reminder

Attention Control Group

The second group will have access to the same internet-based application to track daily their stress and pain levels but will not be able to view our Pray Until Something Happens intervention.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Self-monitoring of outcomes + alerts/reminders + use of PUSH

Interventions

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Self-monitoring of outcomes + alerts/reminders + use of PUSH

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Self-monitoring

Self-monitoring of outcomes + alerts/reminder

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

PUSH Prayer Fellowship

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Has SCD diagnosis;
• Reports pain 3 or greater in the previous 24 hours (0-10 scale)
• Speaks and reads English
• 18 years of age or older
• Uses opioid analgesics on "as needed" or "continuous" basis
• Allows healing prayers to be offered for them in the name of Jesus Christ

Exclusion Criteria

• Legally blind
• Physically or cognitively unable to complete study measures

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 99 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Florida

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Miriam O Ezenwa,, PhD, RN

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Florida

Locations

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

IRB202401269

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id