Complementary Therapies, Pain and Anxiety
Conditions
Keywords
intercessory prayer, complementary and alternative medicine, spiritual healing
Brief summary
This study examines whether proximal (in-person) intercessory prayer (PIP) and virtual intercessory prayer (VIP) can reduce pain and anxiety in adults seeking care at a family medicine clinic. Participants who report moderate or higher levels of pain or anxiety will be randomly assigned to receive either brief Christian prayer (in person or virtually) or a control condition of 5 minutes of relaxing music. Prayer sessions last approximately 5 to 15 minutes and are led by trained prayer practitioners. All participants complete surveys about their pain and anxiety levels before and after the session, and again at 2 to 4 weeks and 6 to 8 weeks. The goal is to determine whether prayer leads to greater improvement in pain and anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition, whether effects differ between in-person and virtual prayer, and how participants perceive the experience.
Detailed description
This is a prospective, randomized, controlled study with four groups: Immediate In-Person Prayer (Group 1), In-Person Music Control (Group 2), Immediate Virtual Prayer (Group 3), and Virtual Music Control (Group 4). Randomization uses an alternating list with equal probability of assignment to intervention or control within each arm. The PIP arm recruits patients presenting in person at University of Maryland Department of Family and Community Medicine clinics. The VIP arm recruits patients of the same clinics via email outreach, with sessions conducted over Zoom Healthcare. The prayer intervention follows a standardized Christian 5-step prayer model. The control condition consists of a 5 minutes of soothing instrumental music. Outcome assessments use the GAD-7 and likert scare for anxiety and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale for pain, collected at baseline, immediately post-intervention (except GAD-7), 2 to 4 weeks, and 6 to 8 weeks. Secondary analyses examine whether effects vary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religious beliefs. Participant perceptions of the prayer experience are also assessed. This is a feasibility and pilot study.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALIntercessory Prayer
Brief Christian prayer (5-15 minutes) led by trained volunteer prayer practitioners following a standardized 5-step prayer model. Delivered in person (Arm 1) or via Zoom Healthcare (Arm 3).
BEHAVIORALMusic Listening
5 minutes of soothing instrumental music.
Sponsors
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Global Medical Research Institute
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Patient at a University of Maryland Department of Family and Community Medicine clinic * Score of 4 or more on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10) and/or score of 10 or more on the GAD-7
Exclusion criteria
* currently pregnant * Change in pain or anxiety medication within 24 hours of potential enrollment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Pain Intensity | Baseline and immediately post-intervention, 2-4 weeks, and 6-8 weeks | Change in score on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10, with 10 being worst possible pain) |
| Change in Anxiety (Likert Scale) | Baseline and immediately post-intervention | Change in self-reported anxiety on a Likert scale |
| Change in Anxiety (GAD-7) | Baseline, 2-4 weeks, and 6-8 weeks | Change in score on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Participant Perception of Prayer Experience | Immediately post-intervention | Self-reported participant experience and opinion regarding the prayer intervention, including desire to receive prayer again and opinion on whether prayer should be offered at other medical clinics. Assessed in intervention groups only. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed