A randomized controlled trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has shown that a five-minute session of proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) significantly alleviates pain and anxiety in primary care patients. The study, published in the May/June 2026 issue of Annals of Family Medicine, indicates that PIP may serve as an effective non-pharmacologic complement to traditional medical care, especially for underserved populations.
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In the study, 180 patients from a university family medicine practice, who reported clinically significant pain or anxiety, were randomly assigned to receive either five minutes of Christian intercessory prayer from a trained volunteer or five minutes of soft music as a control. Pain was measured using a 0-10 scale, while anxiety was assessed using the GAD-7 scale. Follow-up assessments took place at two and six weeks after the intervention.
Key findings revealed that participants in the prayer group reported significantly greater reductions in pain immediately following the session and at the two-week follow-up, although no significant difference was noted at six weeks. In terms of anxiety, participants in the prayer group showed notable reductions immediately after treatment, with effects persisting at both follow-ups, indicating potential long-lasting benefits.
Reported adverse events were absent, and 97% of those who received prayer expressed positive or neutral feelings about incorporating PIP into future medical visits. Notably, Black participants experienced larger reductions in both pain and anxiety, a finding deemed significant given existing disparities in pain management and the high prevalence of prayer among Black Americans.
While prayer is commonly used as a complementary medicine in the United States—43% of Americans engaging in it—rigorous trials are rare. Lead author Katherine Jacobson, MD, emphasized that PIP is safe and effective for managing pain and anxiety and may represent a low-cost adjunct to standard treatment.
Co-author Joshua W. Brown, PhD, remarked that the intervention's effectiveness transcended patients' faith or lack thereof, highlighting prior research indicating that prayer can positively influence brain function.
The study population was primarily Black, female, and low-income, which may limit broader application of the findings. The authors acknowledged that future research should explore control conditions that incorporate interpersonal contact without prayer to better isolate the effects of PIP. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07565142) and received approval from the University of Maryland's Institutional Review Board, with funding from the Global Medical Research Institute.