Int J Psychiatry Med. 2012;43(1):85-98.The effect of prayer on depression and anxiety: maintenance of positive influence one year after prayer intervention. Boelens PA 1, Reeves RRReplogle WHKoenig HG. Author information Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate whether the effect of direct contact person-to-person prayer on depression, anxiety, and positive emotions is maintained after 1 year.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:

One-year follow-up of subjects with depression and anxiety who had undergone prayer intervention consisting of six weekly 1-hour prayer sessions conducted in an office setting. Subjects (44 women) completed Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression and Anxiety, Life Orientation Test, and Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale after finishing a series of six prayer sessions and then again a month later in an initial study. The current study reassessed those subjects with the same measures 1 year later. One-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to compare findings pre-prayer, immediately following the six prayer sessions, and 1 month and again 1 year following prayer interventions.


RESULTS:

Evaluations post-prayer at 1 month and 1 year showed significantly less depression and anxiety, more optimism, and greater levels of spiritual experience than did the baseline (pre-prayer) measures (p < 0.01 in all cases).


CONCLUSIONS:

Subjects maintained significant improvements for a duration of at least 1 year after the final prayer session. Direct person-to-person prayer may be useful as an adjunct to standard medical care for patients with depression and anxiety. Further research in this area is indicated.

PMID:

22641932

DOI:

10.2190/PM.43.1.f
[Indexed for MEDLINE]