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Prayer for Pain and Anxiety in a Primary Care Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Katherine Jacobson1, Jennifer Zipp2, Brenda Jones3,4
1University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland kjacobson@som.umaryland.edu.
Annals of Family Medicine
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) significantly reduced pain and anxiety in patients. This safe, complementary treatment showed particular benefit for underserved populations, with most participants desiring future opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Complementary Medicine
- Integrative Health
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Distant intercessory prayer studies show mixed results.
- Proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) involves in-person prayer for another.
- PIP is utilized as a complementary therapy for pain and anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the efficacy of proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) as a complementary treatment.
- Assess PIP's impact on pain and anxiety levels in a patient population.
- Evaluate patient reception and safety of PIP interventions.
Main Methods:
- 180 patients with pain or anxiety were recruited from family medicine.
- Participants received 5 minutes of Christian PIP or music (control).
- Pain and anxiety were reassessed immediately, and 2 and 6 weeks post-intervention.
Main Results:
- PIP group showed significantly greater reductions in pain and anxiety compared to the control group.
- Symptom reductions were observed immediately and up to 6 weeks post-intervention.
- Black participants reported greater symptom reductions; no adverse events were noted.
Conclusions:
- Proximal intercessory prayer is a safe and effective complementary treatment for pain and anxiety.
- PIP may serve as a low-cost, non-pharmacologic adjunct to standard medical care.
- The intervention showed particular relevance and positive reception among underserved populations.
