Adult patients found notable pain and anxiety relief after five minutes of in-person prayer, according to a randomized controlled trial. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine compared the effects of direct prayer to listening to music, revealing prayer’s superior and prolonged symptom relief.
“Prayer is powerful and beneficial on many levels,” stated Jesse Bradley, pastor of Grace Community Church in Washington.
Study Insights
Prayer tops the list of complementary medicine in the U.S., used by 43% of Americans, as per the study’s statistics. The research focused on proximal intercessory prayer (PIP), face-to-face prayer aimed at another person’s well-being. Changes in participants’ self-reported pain and anxiety levels were monitored immediately after a five-minute session, as well as at two and six weeks later.
Out of a family medicine waiting room, 180 adult patients were recruited. Participants had reported moderate to severe pain or anxiety. After regular medical appointments, patients were allocated to either the prayer group, receiving five minutes of in-person Christian prayer, or the music group, spending the same amount of time listening to music.
Results Overview
Both groups exhibited improvements, but those in the prayer group experienced significantly greater relief.
“It was very well-received,” said Katherine Jacobson, MD, assistant professor. Ninety-seven percent of participants were neutral or supportive of prayer during medical visits.
Initially, pain reduction was more pronounced with in-person prayer, and this enhanced relief persisted at the two-week mark. For anxiety reduction, prayer’s effects lasted longer, remaining significant at two and six weeks post-session.
Contrary to expectations, religious affiliation or intensity did not determine improvement levels. Benefits extended to diverse patient groups, involving those with different faith backgrounds or low expectations of improvement.
Considerations and Future Directions
The study acknowledges limitations, mainly that prayer’s direct effect was not definitively proven. Human contact in the prayer group, including eye contact and gentle touch, might have influenced outcomes.
Future research might require a control group receiving interpersonal contact without prayer. Researchers suggest considering PIP as a cost-effective complement to standard medical care.
Integration into Healthcare
For healthcare providers, the study advocates incorporating spiritual care preferences in whole-person care. Integration of trained Christian volunteer prayer practitioners in outpatient settings could benefit interested patients.
PIP, rather than replacing existing treatments, can be an addition to primary care to aid in pain and anxiety management.
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