In focus: Engaging Black and African American women in oncology supportive care interventions.

54 Background: For individuals navigating cancer, unaddressed psychosocial needs can adversely impact quality of life, treatment adherence, and healthcare expenditures. It is recognized that African American cancer survivors are more likely to experience distress, yet they are underrepresented in studies that evaluate interventions. Mind Over Matter (MOM) is a five-week psychoeducational program aimed at bolstering emotional coping skills. A previous study among predominantly White female-identifying breast cancer survivors revealed improvements from pre to post-MOM for anxiety, depression, and physical symptom severity and interference; no data exists for women who identify as Black and/or African American. This presentation will illustrate the strategies and processes implemented to recruit, consent, and retain Black and African American cancer survivors to test the feasibility and acceptability of MOM. Methods: In forming the research team, the diversity in institutions, experience, racial and cultural identities, and professional perspectives were prioritized. As a result of this process, team members were social workers and psychologists, one was at an HBCU institution, and another was a patient advocate from the Black community who was hired and trained enabling full participation in the research process. To improve access all aspects of the study were available online and the intervention was offered virtually in the evening to support participants' availability. Efforts were made to build relationships with non-profit organizations, then disseminating the study through emails, healthcare systems, and social media. Results: During the 3-month recruitment period, 79 individuals expressed interest in the study via email and the study website. Of these, 40 participants (50.6%) enrolled in the study, surpassing the goal of 27. Half of the enrolled survivors learned about the study through community, medical, and academic organizations, while 20% and 10% were referred via the home health system and social media, respectively. 17.5% were referred from unspecified sources. Conclusions: Through robust team development, strategic community partnerships, using a study design that addressed common barriers (e.g., program hours and delivery method, tech orientation, incentives) and a high touch approach, this study successfully enrolled half of the Black and African American female-identified cancer survivors who expressed interest in this mixed-methods study. Clinical trial information: NCT06168825 .