A study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine indicated that a five-minute session of proximal intercessory prayer (PIP), delivered by a trained volunteer, effectively reduced pain and anxiety in primary care patients when compared to a music control group. The results, published in the May/June 2026 issue of Annals of Family Medicine, suggest that PIP may serve as a valuable non-pharmacologic complement to conventional medical care, particularly for underserved populations.
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The randomized controlled trial involved 180 patients from a university family medicine practice who reported clinically significant pain or anxiety. After their appointments, participants were randomly assigned to receive either five minutes of Christian intercessory prayer — which included laying-on-of-hands — or five minutes of soft music. Follow-up assessments were conducted at two and six weeks.
Key findings showed that participants in the prayer group experienced significantly greater reductions in pain immediately after the session and at the two-week follow-up, though differences were not statistically significant at six weeks. Anxiety levels also decreased significantly in the prayer group immediately after treatment, with lasting reductions noted at both the two-week and six-week follow-ups.
Safety and acceptance of the intervention were noted, as no adverse events were reported. Furthermore, 97% of participants found the idea of including PIP in future medical visits to be acceptable.
Notably, Black participants in the study experienced larger reductions in both pain and anxiety following prayer, highlighting potential benefits associated with disparities in pain treatment and the common use of prayer among Black Americans.
Katherine Jacobson, MD, the lead author of the study, emphasized that proximal intercessory prayer was found to be safe, effective, and well-received, suggesting its potential as a low-cost adjunct to standard care for underserved populations. Co-author Joshua W. Brown, PhD, noted that the intervention was beneficial regardless of the participants' religious beliefs.
The study population was primarily Black, female, and low-income, mirroring the clinic's demographics but limiting the generalizability of the results. The authors acknowledged that confounding factors could not be completely eliminated due to the nature of the intervention and recommend future studies include a control condition with similar interpersonal engagement but without prayer.
The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and was conducted with funding from a Global Medical Research Institute MESH Grant.