Can a Chaplain's visit calm ICU families? new trial aims to find out

NCT ID NCT07228299

Not yet recruiting Symptom relief Sponsor: Indiana University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether structured spiritual care from a chaplain can reduce anxiety and improve well-being for family members of ICU patients who cannot make decisions for themselves. The chaplain will meet with the family surrogate several times and stay in touch weekly. The trial will enroll 64 patient-family pairs at multiple hospitals.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention (SCAI) framework delivered by a chaplain
What this could lead to: If it works, this could provide a simple, non-drug way to ease anxiety and boost spiritual well-being for families making tough decisions in the ICU.
What could go wrong: This is a small early-stage trial with only 64 participants, so results may not apply to all ICU families. The intervention is behavioral, so effects may be modest or hard to measure.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder Personal Satisfaction

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ANXIETY SATISFACTION WELL-BEING

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of California- San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94143, United States
Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States

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