Addressing Emotional Wellness among COVID-19 informal first-responders: REJOICE-P

PROJECT Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic is currently devastating many communities across America1-3. The increases ininfection, unemployment, and death are straining resources in disadvantaged communities, such as ruralAfrican American communities4. In rural African American communities, pastors are serving as informal first-responders, responding to the communities social and emotional needs associated with the COVID-19pandemic5. For example, many are experiencing increased psychological distress such as anxiety anddepressive symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the decreased access to formal mental healthservices46, pastors are responsible for addressing the emotional concerns7 of congregants in addition toaddressing other psychosocial needs such as the need for financial support and food.5 Pastors, a populationalready at risk for psychological distress and burn-out,8,9 are experiencing an increase in psychological stressrelated to these added demands5; thereby, increasing the likelihood that rural African American pastors willexperience emotional unwellness (i.e. emotional distress or strain that can lead to the development of mentalillness).The parent grant seeks to test the effectiveness of a culturally adapted an evidence-based intervention toaddress emotional wellness in rural African American adults of faith. The multi-level intervention is based onbehavioral activation (BA), an evidence-based psychotherapy for the treatment of depression that focuses onidentifying and scheduling personally meaningful activities to reduce depressive symptoms whilesimultaneously addressing obstacles (i.e. avoidance) to participating in identified activities. Small groups led bylay leaders undergo an 8-session faith-based behavioral activation protocol that provides individuals witheducation about: identifying depressive symptoms, identifying pleasurable activities, scheduling pleasurableactivities, and identifying and addressing avoidant behaviors that act as barriers to completing pleasurableactivities.Given the specific need of pastors serving as informal first responders, this supplement seeks to refine theexisting REJOICE intervention to provide pastors with skills to improve personal emotional wellness related toserving on the first-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and build the capacity of pastors to adequately respond tothe emotional needs of rural African Americans. Specifically, this supplement aims to:1) Refine REJOICE foruse with rural African American pastors serving as informal first-responders during the COVID-19 pandemicand 2) Assess the feasibility and acceptability of a faith-based behavioral activation intervention (REJOICE) foruse with African American pastors serving as informal first-responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.