Hello, my name is Chris Bernuth. I'm a doctoral student in the University of Missouri's counseling psychology doctoral program who has been planning, for over two years now, an experiment (my dissertation) examining the effect of intercessory prayer on client outcome. (Intercessory prayer involves praying on another's behalf from a distance.) Some fascinating research has already been done on this topic - primarily in the field of medicine and not so much in psychology.
I am soliciting assistance from secular adult outpatient mental health service providers across the country/world to provide us with subjects for this study. This involves you or your staff administering pretest and posttest packets to your brand-new adult individual clients. Each packet will take the client approximately 15 minutes to complete. In other words, the client will fill out the pretest packet just prior to your very first session with him/her. Over a period of at most 7 weeks the client will complete 4 counseling sessions in your clinic, with the posttest being administered just prior to the 4th session. Your total time commitment for the entire project will be relatively minimal - roughly 90 minutes.
To help us, you must have at least a masters degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, or educational psychology. We are asking that only secular or non-Christian counseling professionals recruit subjects for this study due to the sensitive nature of the study's subject. Of course, the clinicians themselves may be Christians, but the practice should not be advertised as having a Christian or religious affiliation or basis.
You will deliver the data to our research team via e-mail and, once data collection is over, you will send all hard-copies of the packets via "snail mail" using pre- addressed, postage paid envelopes that we will provide to you. Your theraputic interaction with the clients will not be impacted; we will in no way intrude during the clients' therapy sessions. Of course, clients will sign an informed consent to participate, and the clients' identity will be protected. Also, I am providing a HIPPA document for clients. Finally, the University of Missouri-Columbia Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved this project.
I suggest you first read the Clinician's Informed Consent and Information followed by the Research Overview. Some of the documents your clients (our study subjects) will complete include:
Some of the pretest and posttest measures include the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) 18, the Trait Hope Scale, and the State Hope Scale.
Of course, the subjects will complete these forms on paper rather than electronically.
One-half of the participants will be prayed for by a team of intercessors, and 1/2 will not. Data will need to be collected on ~130 clients from many providers worldwide. If you would like more detail about the study, such as the randomization process or how the prayer intervention will be implemented, please let me know. Also, I'd be happy to provide you with a further review of the literature.
Would you please send me a reply within the next few days confirming your willingness to help out with this research? To do so simply e-mail a copy of the Clinician's Informed Consent and Information to me at chris@prayerresearch.faithweb.com. Doing so signifies that you understand the terms of the study and your responsibilities. Though the responsibilities are simple, they are somewhat particular. In the e-mail, please include your mailing address so I can mail out the participant packets to you via the US Postal Service.
Our goal is to have all posttest packets completed by roughly late November, 2004. Keep in mind that all four of each client's sessions must take place within a seven week period. We ask that only clinicians who see themselves in a position to be able to recruit at least 4 brand new clients agree to help.
I know that you are very busy and that your time is valuable; however we still really need some help with this project. We currently have 20 clinicians helping, and we need at least 15 more. I believe you will be benefiting the mental health field by participating. Of course, you will receive a summary of our findings after data collection is complete.
Finally, please feel free to forward this website address (http://www.prayerresearch.faithweb.com) to available colleagues who may be able to help with this study.
Thank you!
Chris Bernuth, MS
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Educational, School, & Counseling Psychology
University of Missouri-Columbia
chris@prayerresearch.faithweb.com
